Runaway
by SJSGirl
Summary: Brianna Thorne has escaped, with help, from Decepticon captivity though the damage has been done. Can she overcome the training she endured at the hands of the Cons? Rating will rise in later chapters. Jazz/OC
1. The Escape

The road stretched before her endlessly. 18 year old Brianna Thorne sighed as she hitched her backpack higher and began to walk. Every now and then she would hear the sound of a car engine or the sound of a jet flying and she would vanish into whatever cover she could find. She had managed to escape Decepticon captivity. She wasn't about to go back.

She had been 16 on the day that Megatron had taken control of the planet. Most of the human population had been slaughtered. Entire countries had been wiped out in a matter of days. Only the ones that had submitted to the Decepticon leader without fight or had willingly pledged their loyalty had been spared. She had been spared due to her age and looks. She knew her long dark hair and unusual deep green eyes had caught the Decepticon leader's attention. She knew that the little medic, Scalpel, was experimenting with the Con holoforms and human reproduction. So far he had little success, though the Cons had certainly enjoyed trying. She shuddered. One of the more psychotic ones, Sideways, had had his optics on her and she knew she had to escape or die trying. There was no way she was going to allow that mech to touch her.

She didn't know where she was going; only that she didn't want to be the latest experiment. She had been exposed to the Allspark radiation multiple times, as had many of the females, and she could feel something inside of her change. She had a sinking feeling she would end up being one of the more successful experiments. Already several of the other girls had shown signs of being altered. She wondered just who would end up being the first brood mare. It was bad enough that the males loyal to Megatron had free rein to abuse and procreate with the women as they saw fit. Now they had to worry about the mechs too.

She had heard rumors of another group of Cybertronians; the ones who had come to Earth to stop the Decepticons. Unfortunately, they had been too late. Now, they were holed up somewhere with a group of humans, including Sam Witwicky and his girlfriend. The Autobots were supposed to have met up with Sam before Megatron could be revived and retrieved the Allspark. Human mistakes had changed the course of events and the Autobots had been forced into hiding. Brie was determined to find and join their cause.

As the sound of the Cons searching for her faded, she crept out of hiding. She grimaced at the hated symbol tattooed onto her arm; a symbol of her ties to the faction. She remembered the excruciating pain she had suffered as it was branded onto her arm. It was a permanent reminder of her slavery status.

_'Though if the Cons get their hands on me there will be worse pain to deal with,'_ she thought with a shudder. She had seen what happened to those caught trying to escape. Men were tortured or worked to the point where they simply died. Women were passed among the mechs and human Con sympathizers as a common whore, until her spirit was so broken that she never again attempted to escape.

Cautiously, she began her journey down the dark highway. Every now and then she would hesitate as the echo of a car engine or the sound of a jet caused her to tense up in preparation to dive for cover. She continued on her way, keeping a tight rein on her nerves. She couldn't afford to be too jumpy. If she dove for cover at every slight noise she would never get to where she needed to be. Eventually she would have to find a place to hole up for the day. It was easier to travel at night than during the day. She could blend in better. Perhaps she would stumble across a small town and could break into a house or motel.

During the walk, she allowed her thoughts to wander. She was both curious and fearful of finding the Autobots. She had heard the whispers. The Autobots were supposed to be kind and protective of all life forms. They were corroborating with a group of humans in a plan to overthrow the Cons. Already several Cons had been offlined due to their stealthy strikes and Brie was certain that there was a spy among the Cons, though she couldn't be sure; though she did note that Barricade always seemed to be keeping a watchful optic on her.

She frowned as she trudged along. Now that she thought about it, the Con always seemed to be protecting her. He kept Sideways from simply taking what he wanted, which was namely her. He made sure that she had a little bit extra food whenever he could. In short, he seemed to treat her like a cherished pet. What was really surprising was the fact that he never made any attempt to get physical with her. In fact he had been the one to help her escape, though she know if Megatron found out things would go badly for the mech. She wondered if she should be glad or offended at his lack of interest in her. She finally settled for glad. She was still a virgin and she wasn't going to give it away until she found the special someone her heart longed for.

She lost track of how long she had been walking, always keeping her eyes and ears tuned for signs of pursuit. The sky was beginning to lighten and she was about to seek out a place to hide when she stumbled upon the small town. Breathing a sigh of relief, she stole into the first house she found and fumbled her way to the bedroom. She found herself stumbling slightly over clothing or toys that were scattered in the hallway. It appeared that the owners of the house had been caught preparing to run from the invaders.

She sank down onto the unused bed bonelessly, too tired to even grab the food that 'Cade had made sure she packed. She was even too tired to care about clean the sheets and covers were. She had slept on and under far worse. Sleep then food was in order. After that she would simply have to keep herself occupied until dark fell again and she could resume her travels.

She wasn't sure what woke her. One minute she was in a deep sleep, dreaming of her life before the Con invasion. She recalled the warmth of her mother's laugher, the protective affection of her father. She even found herself missing the arguments she and her brother had had. Her life had been good and she found herself wishing she could join her family in the afterlife. She knew that that's not what they would have wanted though. She was a fighter and she was determined to survive, for the memory of her family.

Her eyes fluttered open as she stretched, a yawn splitting her jaw for a moment. She froze at the sight of the two human men standing over her, guns trained directly over her heart and brain. She stared helplessly as the sandy haired one leaned over and studied the mark on her arm. He made a soft sound of anger and Brie flinched. Seeing her reaction, the male quickly pulled back and lowered his gun as the other one did the same.

"Sorry girl we didn't mean to scare you. Can't be too careful these days," the male said. Brie placed a hand to her rapid beating heart and swallowed nervously before replying.

"I-I'm s-sorry. I d-didn't mean to trespass," she said quietly. The two men exchanged looks.

"You're not we just didn't expect to see anyone here. Been checking for weeks and you're the first person we've found," the other male said soothingly.

"My name is Will Lennox and this is Robert Epps," Will said as he gestured to the other man.

"You can call me Epps, I never cared for Rob," he chuckled. Brie smiled hesitantly as she sat up.

"I'm Brianna but you can call me Brie," she replied. Will nodded then his gaze turned to the mark on her arm.

"You're one of the Con's humans," he said. Brie flinched as she dropped her eyes.

"Y-Yeah…not by choice though," she murmured. Epps touched the mark and his eyes darkened.

"They branded you like a cow," he growled. Brie nodded.

"It was their way of keeping track of us. Each one has a distinct alteration, to indicate which Con is our keeper. Mine shows that I'm one of Megatron's personal ones," she said with a shudder. Will didn't look too surprised at the information.

"So you're divided into sections?" he asked. Brie nodded.

"Megatron's, Starscream's, Soundwave's and Shockwave's are the main ones. There are smaller ones that belong to other mechs. Megatron chose who he felt were the best looking of the males and females," she explained.

"So how did you escape?" Epps asked in curiosity. He figured that Megatron would be keeping a particularly close eye on the humans he had taken as pets. Brie sighed.

"Barricade was assigned to keep an eye on the different groups and enforce punishment of anyone that broke the rules. He…took a liking to me and helped me. He even kept Sideways away from me," she said as she shuddered again. Just the thought of the Con touching her made her feel ill and she wrapped her arms around herself. Will arched an eyebrow at the information though it fit in with what Mirage had reported back to them.

"I think we should take you to Optimus. You'll be safe there," he said. Brie's face showed her nervousness as she reached for her backpack, watching as Epps took it easily. She stood and began to follow Will, with Epps bringing up the rear. She felt herself beginning to tremble as she was lead outside towards a waiting military jeep. As she stepped inside and sat down she forced herself to breath. She was finally going to the Autobots. She was about to find out if the rumors of their kindness were true. She hoped that they were. She didn't think she could take being forced into slavery by another mech. She had escaped from one hell; she didn't want to find herself in another one.


	2. Betrayals and First Meetings

Megatron was not a happy mech. In fact it was safe to say he was downright livid. One of his favorite pets, one that he had been preparing to make his human mate, had escaped. She had had help, but he wasn't sure who. Even Soundwave was clueless as to the identity of her helper, though he was working diligently to discover who it was. Whoever it was had covered his tracks well.

So when Megatron was in a foul mood it meant someone was going to pay. Usually it was Starscream. For some reason the Seeker just couldn't seem to keep out of Megatron's path. He took a hell of an aft kicking and Knock Out was usually the one to repair him, much to both his and Knock Out's displeasure. Though it was said that it was better being treated by Knock Out than the little creepy sadistic Scalpel.

"STARSCREAM!" Megatron's loud growl echoed throughout the human built base, sending many of the humans and mechs scrambling for cover. The SIC looked as if he was about to disappear himself but before he could a large clawed hand reached out and grabbed him by the throat. Starscream let out a soft sound as he was hoisted into the air and slammed against the wall, sparks flying briefly as his armor scraped against the surface.

"What…troubles you…Lord Megatron?" he managed to squeak out, his red optics showing his terror. Megatron pushed his face into the terrified mech's, his own optics blazing with fury and more than a hint of madness.

"She's gone you fool!" he snarled. Starscream made a choking sound as Megatron's claws tightened on his throat dangerously.

"Forgive…me…master. I…can…find her," he managed to get out. Megatron seemed to be considering it before suddenly loosening his grip and allowing the Seeker to fall to the ground.

"See that you do…and find the traitor that helped her!" he growled before turning and stalking away. Starscream stood slowly, rubbing at his throat as Thundercracker and Skywarp joined him.

"What's so special about one insignificant human female?" Thundercracker asked. Starscream shot him a dangerous look.

"That female is the one that Lord Megatron was going to take for his mate. Though he's cracked in the processor if you ask me," he muttered. Skywarp snickered.

"Wouldn't let him hear you say that 'Screamer," he smirked as he ducked the Trine leader's sudden swipe.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

To say that the Autobot leader was impressive was an understatement. All Brie could do was stare up at the mech, who was listening intently to what Will and Epps were relaying. When they were through he turned his kind blue optics on her and she tensed slightly. She didn't know what to expect from this mech, thus it was best to remain on alert.

"You have nothing to fear here Brianna," he said, his deep voice soothing as he kneeled down to her level. Brie blinked at his words, though she remained on alert. How she wished she could believe those words! Sadly hope and trust had been beaten out of her long ago.

"I…I'm sure that's true I just…" her voice trailed off weakly and Optimus nodded his head slightly in understanding.

"You have been through a lot. Trust is hard to do when you have suffered as you have," he replied. Brie lowered her head, tears prickling at her eyes. She wished she could listen to her instincts, which were screaming that he could be trusted. Her head though reminded her that this being was so much stronger than she was and could easily bring her under control or even kill her with one simple finger.

"I know you don't believe me but in time you will see that we are not like the Decepticons," he said quietly. Brie wiped at her eyes and nodded.

"I…I-I'm sorry," she whispered. She flinched as she felt a hand on her shoulder then realized that it was just Epps.

"Don't be sorry Brie we understand completely. Come on; let's get you settled in a room. You can see Ratchet in the morning," he said. Brie's eyes widened as she stiffened completely. She had heard of the medic and his 'bedside' manner. Rumor was that he was even worse than Scalpel. Her next words brought laughter from everyone, including Optimus.

"I h-have t-to see the Hatchet?"

Barricade slipped out of the base and transformed, driving off underneath the cover of the night. Several miles away he came to a stop and waited. A few minutes later the air across from him shimmered as Mirage came into view. He had known that the spy had infiltrated the base some time ago. Just as he was aware that Jazz was even lurking around every now and then. The mysterious 'malfunctions' of certain sensitive machinery had all the signs of being tampered with by an expert. Despite all of their tricks their machines continued to mysteriously malfunction. Many times he had heard Megatron cursing the name of the Autobot saboteur.

"The femme made it safely?" the mech growled as he transformed. Mirage tipped his head elegantly in acknowledgment.

"I steered Major Lennox and Sargent Epps to her location personally," he replied haughtily. Barricade rolled his optics. The mech might be a damn fine spy but he had retained all of the arrogance of the noble that he had once been.

"Make sure she remains safe. I didn't risk my aft to see her recaptured for further abuse," he snapped. Mirage eyed him coolly. He had observed Barricade taking great care to protect the female. He had shown no signs of wishing to interface with her, as other mechs did. So what was his connection to her?

"You seem very concerned for this particular human's safety," he stated. Barricade glared at him. He hated having anyone questioning his motives. Especially since he himself didn't really understand them.

"She's…special," was all he said. Before Mirage could ask anything more Barricade turned into his alt mode.

"Keep her safe. Otherwise it's your aft I'll have," he snarled before driving off. Mirage stared after the mech for a moment before shaking his head and cloaking himself again. There was just no understanding that Con.

High above, three Seekers hovered. They had been out searching for any clues to the girl's disappearance when they had spotted Barricade leaving the base. Curious and eager to get dirt on the mech that would discredit him in the Decepticon leader's optics, Starscream had trailed after him, Skywarp and Thundercracker following close behind. They had watched and listened to the meeting and it was only after the two had gone that the SIC began to cackle wildly.

"Well, now we know who helped the girl," he smirked.

"For what reason though?" Skywarp asked. He simply couldn't understand why a seemingly loyal Decepticon would betray them to the Autobots. Thundercracker snorted.

"Barricade always made me suspicious," he said. Starscream said nothing as the three turned and flew back to base. Starscream could hardly wait to tell Megatron what he had learned. Surely now he would see that the Con needed to be offlined. It was something he had been trying to achieve for longer than he could remember. Now he had the very means to end the miserable slagger's existence and nothing was going to prevent him from doing so!

The dreams woke her as always. Sitting up abruptly, the tears that had been falling while she was in slumber, Brianna felt panic rocket through her. She looked around wildly. This wasn't her room! Where was she? She whimpered as she realized that she had overslept. She would have to work even harder to make up for her laziness!

"Brianna? You awake?" the sound of Will's voice called through the door and events came flooding back to her. She relaxed slightly as she threw back the covers and slid from the bed.

"I'm awake. Give me a moment," she called back. She pulled out a fresh set of clothing and quickly changed, smoothing down her hair as best she could before walking over and opening the door. She blushed slightly at the approving look in the male's eyes.

"You look nice Brie," he smiled. She ducked her head shyly and Will chuckled softly.

"Come on, you have a date with the doctor," he said. Brie tensed as she peeked up at Will.

"H-He won't hurt me will he?" she whimpered as the stories of his reputation and her experiences with Scalpel flashed through her mind. Seeing her fear, Will hastened to reassure her.

"Autobots don't harm humans. He might be grumpy and have a tendency to throw things at mechs that annoy him, but he won't hurt you," he promised. Brie eyed him cautiously but allowed him to lead her down the hall towards the med bay. Here and there she saw soldiers going about their routines and she had to admire the efficiency and how well they seemed to get along with each other. The Cons were always fighting and backstabbing each other was a common occurrence.

She always caught glimpses of other Autobots and again felt her nervousness rising. She had the Decepticon symbol tattooed blatantly on her upper right arm, clear for all to see. She could only wonder how they felt having a Con slave walking free among them. She shuddered. She knew how an Autobot sympathizer would be treated at the Decepticon base.

"Don't worry Brie, everything's ok," Will said, again sensing the girl's growing fear. Given the stories Mirage had brought back he could clearly imagine what she had been through. No wonder she was so scared of everything.

They arrived at the med bay and it was there that Brie balked. She came to a dead stop at the door and refused to go inside. For her, med bay meant pain and there was no way in hell she was going to willingly submit herself to that. Will sighed.

"Brianna, Ratchet will not hurt you," he said.

"No he won't because I'm NOT going in there!" she hissed as she stamped her foot for good measure. The soldier couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"Brianna, I give you my solemn word that nothing is going to happen to you," Will said as he tried to wipe the amusement from his face. Unfortunately the next set of events made him rethink his statement.

"Get back in here Jazz!" the sound of the medic's annoyed shout reached their ears and Will pulled the startled young woman out of the way just in time as the Autobot sized door opened and a small silver blur rushed past them. Her eyes widened at the name as she watched the laughing mech disappear around a corner. He was another name that was bandied about, both in awe and in terror. He was the mech that you never saw coming. He could be in and out of an area before the first set of explosives went off. His stealth and cunning were both feared and respected by most Cons and Brie had heard talk of trying to convert him to the Decepticon side. She jumped as a white and red mech stepped into the doorway, a scowl on his face as he stared in the direction that Jazz had gone.

"Pit spawned pain in the aft…when I get my hands on him…" Ratchet's mumbles trailed off as he caught sight of Will and the frozen young woman. Realizing that this was obviously the girl that had been brought in the previous evening he again cursed Jazz. He had been hoping to make his first meeting with her as non-threatening as possible. He should have known better. If it wasn't Jazz causing havoc it was the two sets of twins.

"Good morning Major Lennox. This must be Brianna," he said as he knelt down slowly. He saw the girl stiffen even further, her face paling as she attempted to take a step back. Only the firm grip Will had on her arm prevented her from breaking free and fleeing.

"Good morning Ratchet. I see your day has already started off well," he chuckled. Another scowl crossed the mech's face and Brianna shivered. That look usually precluded a round of painful experiments. Sensing her fear, Ratchet cleared the expression from his face as he focused on her.

"I apologize for the racket Brianna. Jazz is…" his voice trailed off as he tried to think of the appropriate word.

"A handful. He's the Autobot's TIC and the expert saboteur. As you can see he has a very laid back attitude," Will supplied. Ratchet nodded in appreciation at his words. He saw the young girl begin to relax and resisted the urge to vent softly. He was going to have to have patience when dealing with this human. She had suffered who knows what horrors and obviously was terrified of med bays.

"He…is highly respected and feared in the Con ranks," she murmured quietly. Will laughed even as Ratchet smirked. It was good to know that their reputations were reaching the appropriate ears or audial receptors.

"Dare I ask about my reputation?" the mech asked, curious. Her answer drew shouts of laughter from Jazz, who had lingered nearby, and a pair of pranking twins.

"The most feared medic that any Con would do anything to avoid meeting. They say that your nickname of 'Hatchet' is well earned."


	3. Explorations

It was later that night and Brie found that she was unable to sleep. She was used to working late hours and rising too early. As a consequence she had been running on too little sleep for so long that she was unable to break free from the routine. She rubbed at her burning eyes. That was something she never got used to though she had learned to live with it. She could only wonder exactly how she appeared to the others.

She sat on the edge of the cot she had been provided and stared blankly at the door. After a rather large dinner, well large for her anyways, Epps had escorted her back to her room. With a charming smile and a wink he had left her alone. She had changed into a pair of shorts and a tee shirt to sleep in before lying down. Unfortunately after nearly two hours of tossing and turning she had given up and sat up. Now she was trying to figure out a way to occupy herself until sleep came to visit.

Feeling a bravery that she had long thought deserted her, she stood and moved to the door. She opened it slowly and peered out, scanning both ways before leaving the safety of her room to explore. Seeing neither human nor 'Bot, she stepped out into the hallway and for a moment felt horribly exposed and nearly darted back inside. A brief hesitation and she forced herself to head down the hallway in the direction of the rec room that she had been briefly shown. Every so often she would freeze as she heard a noise; prepared to turn and flee back to her room should someone suddenly appear. She finally made it to the rec room and crept inside. So intent on checking things out she failed to notice the silent stalker she had picked up.

Jazz had been heading down the hallway towards his own quarters when he had spotted the little femme creeping out of her temporary room. He knew that the humans were fixing up a more permanent set of quarters for her; far enough away from the main traffic to feel safe yet close enough for someone to reach her should they need to. He had decided to follow and keep an optic on her, not because he thought her to be a 'Con spy. He was making sure that she remained safe.

He distinctly remembered seeing her during some of his forays into the 'Con base. His optics had been irristably drawn to her and he had been sorely tempted to break protocol and steal her away with him. There was a fiery innocence to her that called to him and he had been hard pressed to remember why he was there in the first place. The fact that she had been in Megatron's group of pet humans only intensified that feeling. Especially when he learned of the experiments that were being conducted and the Deception leader's keen interest in her.

His visor flashed as he remembered some of the abuse that she had suffered, without Megatron or even Barricade's knowledge. Abuse that not even Mirage had been able to catch wind of. The humans in the group were good at hiding their secrets, a trait that would Megatron would approve of if it hadn't been directed at his personal favorite. The only thing that had stopped him from taking her with him was Barricade's unusual close watch over her, though he didn't understand how the 'Con had failed to notice what was happening to her, and Mirage's promise to alert him if her situation worsened.

Unaware of her hidden guardian, Brie poked along the room as she allowed her natural curiosity to overcome her fear. The room was decked out in furniture and activities for both humans and 'Bots and Brie shook her head. The Decepticon base had no such luxuries. Megatron felt that allowing the humans too much free time would invite them to stage a rebellion. As a consequence they were worked from the moment they woke till the moment they were allowed to sleep. She shuddered as a memory of one unlucky couple caught engaging in activities during their work period flashed through her mind.

_"No, please! It was all her fault!" Brie straightened up from the clothing she had been mending and turned towards the sound of the panicked male voice. She stood and stepped out into the hallway, flattening herself against the wall as the others in her group stepped out as well. She winced at the none too subtle elbow she received as one of her regular tormentors shoved her out of the way._

_ She watched in silent horror as a half-dressed male and female from one of the other groups, she wasn't sure who's, was dragged past them by Sideways and Dead End. Brie shivered as Sideways' optics roamed over her briefly and she knew only the thrill of the upcoming punishments, as well as Barricade's silent menacing presence, prevented him from approaching her._

_ "You fleshlings pay attention. This is the only warning you will receive as to the consequences of these foolish actions," Barricade growled. Brie shivered again. Megatron's group seemed to be the only group that was well behaved, despite their secret abuse towards her. She found herself suddenly very grateful to be a part of his stable, despite his unusual keen interest in her and the treatment she suffered from her fellow humans. She had no desire to end up like that unfortunate woman._

_ Brie quickly turned away as Barricade began to punish the offending male, shoving the female further into Sideways' arms until it was her time for punishment. She had to fight the urge to cover her ears at the screams of pain and terror and the smells of the blood being spilled made her stomach churn. But it was the sound of the murmurs of the people around her that sickened her the most. They were getting a vicarious thrill out of the sight and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. It was something that would haunt her for nearly two weeks._

Brie forced the memory from her mind as she continued her explorations. She kept her ears tuned for any signs of movement. She suddenly paused, tensing as the sensation of being watched crawled over her. She straightened and quickly turned, her eyes darting around the room frantically. She knew she was being watched; she had felt the eerie sensation far too often during her captivity to recognize it. How long had the unknown watcher been observing her?

"W-Who's there?" she called out shakily. She didn't dare try to sound anything less than scared. Any sign of bravery or defiance was usually met with a harsh punishment. Though she had noticed that Megatron seemed to enjoy the times he goaded her into forgetting her place until she lashed out at him. She never understood why she was allowed to do so when anyone else usually found themselves facing Barricade for punishment or put in the brig.

Jazz could see her growing fear. He didn't understand how she had sensed his presence. Perhaps her years with the 'Cons had honed her senses. Either way he knew he couldn't allow her to become too frightened. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel as if she couldn't even trust the Autobots.

"Easy femme Ah mean ya no harm," he said as he emerged from the shadows. Brie's eyes widened as she tensed even more. There were only two Autobots who were highly skilled at lurking in the shadows until they wished to be seen. Either option made her spirits sink.

"Who are you?" she whispered. Jazz hesitated before slowly drawing closer. He approached her as a human would a nervous animal and she flinched as he knelt down before her. He studied her for a moment before venting softly. Given how tense she was she was most likely to flee the minute his name left his lips. Primus only knew what his particular reputation was among the captive humans.

"Name's Jazz," he said as he watched her intently. He tried to make himself appear as non-threatening as possible but could tell by the way her face paled that she had heard something about him. Apparently what she had heard was nothing good.

"I…I've heard of you," she murmured. A whisper of a smirk crossed the saboteur's face.

"Dare Ah ask what ya've heard?" he chuckled. Despite the circumstances, Brie found herself relaxing again. This mech, so far, was nothing like she had imagined him to be.

"You're one of the mechs Megatron wants to get ahold of. He says he'd make you one of his top officers because you're that good at what you do," she said quietly. There was a brief silence before Jazz began to laugh. The rich warmth of it soothed away the last of her nerves and she took the time to fully study the mech kneeling in front of her.

She took in the visor that covered his optics, currently a dark blue color that signaled his amusement. She studied his compact body frame. Though he was small, his body radiated strength. She imagined that he moved with a stealth, speed and grace that only a few Decepticons could hope to match. Those clawed servos made him a danger in more ways than one. All in all she could see why he was such a valuable asset to the Autobots and a deadly foe to the 'Cons.

"Ah'm glad ta know that tha ol' Megsy is that worried 'bout meh," he said with a smirk. Brie eyes him for a moment longer before a shy smile flashed across her face and she dropped her eyes.

"I didn't mean to disturb you. I shouldn't have wandered from my room," she said. She jumped as she felt one clawed digit slide under her chin and gently tip her head up so that her eyes met his optics even though they were covered by his visor.

"Ya didn' disturb meh. As was still up. Figured Ah'd make sure that nothin' was wrong," he said his voice warm and soothing. She attempted to look down again but discovered that Jazz wouldn't allow her to, so she settled for turning her eyes away from him.

"Why do ya keep lookin' down?" he asked. He had noticed during his stealthy visits that all the human males and females exchanged information with the mechs in the same manner. Brie fidgeted nervously.

"Lord Megatron said that it was a sign of respect. To gaze directly at a mech when speaking was a sign of defiance and you would be punished accordingly depending on the number of offences," she replied. Her nervousness returned as his visor flashed a red color briefly, indicating his anger at her response. The saboteur seemed to sense this as his visor returned to a soft blue, the same trademark color of the Autobots' optics.

"Ya don' have ta worry 'bout that here. Ah like ta be looked at. Some of tha other mech would be offended if ya didn' look at 'em," he said softly. Brie hesitated for a moment before shyly returning her gaze to meet his again.

"I don't wish to offend anyone," she murmured. Jazz shifted slightly and was pleased when she made no attempt to pull away.

"Don't worry, most of us are hard ta offend," he chuckled. Brie nodded and tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a yawn. It appeared that her little nocturnal wandering had done the trick. Jazz suppressed his amusement at the sight and allowed his hand to drop away and turn palm up on the floor in front of her. He watched her flinch slightly and eye him cautiously, unsure of his motives. She was used to be snatched up by a mech when they needed something, not being offered a ride.

"Ah won' hurt ya. Ah just want ta help ya to yer room. Ya look tired," he said soothingly. He really wanted to help her transition from being a 'Con slave to being a free femme go much smoother. The deeper feelings behind his seemingly simple desire to help her was something best set aside for the time being. He didn't wish to frighten her.

Brie eyed him for a moment longer, sensing something behind his seemingly innocent explanation. She sighed wearily, deciding that she would trust her instincts just this once. She carefully climbed into the offered hand and settled herself gingerly. As he stood his clawed digits curled up slightly to protect her and she grasped onto one for stability. As they headed down the hallway she found herself gazing up at him thoughtfully. No, he was definitely nothing like she had expected. How many of the other Autobots were different from what she had heard and imagined them to be like?

***rubs back of neck* so, I have a faint idea of where I'm going with this...I think LOL. I have two pairings I'm leaning towards but I'm unsure yet of which way. So if ya wanna give me what you think in a review or PM I'm open for it! So far I'm leaning towards Jazz/Brie or Sunny/Brie/Sides. But do kinda like Prowl/Jazz so yeah...not sure where I'm going yet LOL! Anything in italics is a flashback or memory. I'll specify if anything else comes up.**


	4. Memories and Early Morning Antics

**So thanks to wonderful pain pills I was actually able to get this chapter written. I know it seems kinda slow and boring at the moment but I don't want to rush Brie's intergration into a new life. There will be chapters where the 'Bots are off fighting and she's left to her own devices but for the next few chapters it's going to be a look into her first experiences with some of the Autobots and memories that she wanted left buried. Not to mention figuring out what's going on with her medically ;) I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**I only own Brie, her unnamed parents and any others OCs that might appear. Oh, the inspiriation for this fic is 'This is War' by 30 Seconds to Mars. Fitting for the fight between the Autobots and Decepticons in my opinion. Some chapters might be inspired by certain songs and I'll alert you as to which ones if they do =)**

Brie tossed and turned in her bed restlessly, struggling to throw off the oppressive blanket of sleep. Normally, her rest, though short, was undisturbed; perhaps because she was too tired for even her mind to process during that time. Tonight sadly was different. She was plagued by memories that she had shoved into a dark corner of her mind and locked away. She had forced herself to deny them and how they made her feel after one of the other females had caught her crying a short time after capture. They didn't care that she was barely sixteen when the jeering female had dragged her before the rest of the group. The ridicule and scorn she had endured had only made it worse and she realized quickly that if she was to survive her new environment with some semblance of sanity she would have to make herself numb to everything.

It had taken a month, but she had finally achieved that zombie like state that was so necessary for survival in the harsh and brutal environment. Now, the dam had been broken. She was once again engulfed by long suppressed emotions and memories that left her teetering on the edge of an emotional abyss and sanity.

_They had waited too long. Brie and her parents had watched in silent horror as city after city, town after town, had been destroyed. They hadn't missed the fact that certain handpicked humans had been rounded up like cattle and Brie shuddered. They had foolishly assumed, like millions of other humans that lived there, that San Antonio would be spared such horrors. After all, it wasn't like they were important in the scheme of things, unlike the nation's capital, Houston, New York or Los Angeles. The only thing they could boast of was the historic Alamo and the river walk._

_So when they had been woken by the sounds of screams and loud explosions, Brie and her parents had been terrified. The three didn't even bother packing a bag, flying down the stairs and out the door towards their vehicle. Unfortunately their attempted escape had been thwarted by one large metallic foot coming down on said vehicle, crushing it instantly. Brie had had to bite her lip to keep from screaming as her father's whispered words, spoken when she had expressed concern during her tryouts for a school play, flowed through her mind._

"Brie, never allow your fear to get the best of you. By confronting it head on you will come out stronger in the end." _Brie smiled slightly. Her parents had always been her biggest cheerleaders and supported her 100% in everything she did. Not to say that they didn't have their share of usual fights. What teenager didn't occasionally disagree with her parents and vice versa? She was just lucky that the storms usually blew over quickly, with no lingering resentment to mar the once again peaceful family atmosphere._

_She squirmed as she felt the uncomfortable weight of the alien gaze on her, inspecting every inch of her body. She had always been sensitive to the stares of other people. It only made her insecurity in herself worse. She yelped as she was suddenly plucked from the ground and held up before a pair of blood red optics. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself as she forced herself to stare back, only vaguely hearing the panicked shouts of her parents from below._

_"You are an attractive femme. Lord Megatron would be pleased to have you," the unknown being chuckled. Brie immediately straightened and glared at his words._

_"I'm not a damn pet to be bought or sold!" she snapped. To her surprise the chuckle turned into a full blown amused laugh._

_"Such spirit too! You will be fun for him to train. You perhaps could become his favorite. That is, if I don't decide to keep you for myself," he smirked. He ignored the now shocked and more than fearful gaze before turning his attention back to Brie's terrified parents._

_"You two shall be sent to work at the factories. No longer will you be allowed contact with your offspring," he said coldly as he made a slight gesture to them. Immediately, two humans who were obviously guards, stepped forward to grasp an arm of each human and escort them to a waiting bus, where several other males and females where shoved into like sardines. The last sight Brie had of her parents was of her mother's tear stained cheeks and her father's look of sheer despair. Once they were inside the bus pulled away to follow several others on their destinations. It was then that the being who held her, who she would later learn was called Sideways and had taken an interest in her, set her on the ground to be escorted to another bus where several other traumatized women and men were waiting and she was off to her new life._

Brie sat up quickly, finally being successful in waking herself. She was unsurprised to find her face wet with tears and she found herself hoping that her parents had passed away with as little pain as possible. She had never seen or heard from them again and she had quickly learned, after her one humiliating experience, to not allow her grief and concern to show. She had shoved the feelings away with several other memories and locked them down as tightly as she could. Apparently the lock had finally given away from the weight.

She slid from the bed and dressed, forcing her mind to clear and to allow her usual state of numbness to take over. Fear was the one and only emotion that she could still feel, though she tried to keep that one under wraps as well. Showing fear around the Decepticons was tantamount to jumping into a shark filled ocean bleeding. You would be damned lucky if you escaped the experience with your life.

The sound of shouting quickly caught her attention and she hurried over to the door and opened it. She peered out and quickly pulled her head back in as two streaks of color, one silver and the other gold, passed by her. She blinked as she cautiously peered back out as they disappeared around a corner. Just what in the hell had that been?

"SUNSTREAKER! SIDESWIPE! GET YOUR AFTS BACK HERE!" the loudly roared words made Brie jump and her eyes widened wide as a…green?...mech stormed past her. She peered out and her confusion grew as she saw that every inch of him was covered in some sort of small objects, one of which she thought was possible marshmallows.

"They're after me Lucky Charms!" she heard a male voice that she identified as Epps call out and the green mech growled loudly.

"Human just because I can't 'harm' you doesn't mean I can't make your life a living hell!" he called back. There was a small 'eep' and then silence, though Brie heard the loud laughter of every mech and human nearby.

"Ironhide don't hurt them too badly! We need those glitches!" Ratchet snapped as he hurried after the trio. He paused to wish Brie a good morning before hurrying on. She blinked then caught sight of the black and white mech, so similar color wise to Barricade, following at a brisk pace. He too paused as he caught sight of the perplexed young woman.

"Good morning Brianna I trust you had a pleasant rest," he said. Brie could only nod slightly and the mech looked satisfied.

"My designation is Prowl and I am Optimus Prime's second in command. I shall meet with you later if you have the time," he continued. Brie could only nod again and Prowl nodded back before turning and continuing on his way. Brie flinched as she heard the loud clangs coming from down the hallway and the sound of loud curses.

"HEY! WATCH THE PAINT FRAGGER!" Brie couldn't help the small snicker that escaped her.

"Ah I see you've at least heard the resident troublemakers in action," Will chuckled as he moved towards her. Brie frowned slightly.

"Resident troublemakers?" she repeated. Will smiled as he gestured down the hallway, where she could still hear the sounds of loud banging and cursing.

"The twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. They're two of our best fighters but tend to get into trouble when between missions," he said. Brie's eyes widened.

"The same twins that send Thundercracker and Skywarp back cursing? The same ones that Starscream will do anything to avoid?" she asked incredulously. Will laughed.

"The very same ones. They like to practice their 'Jet Judo' when they can," he smirked. Brie couldn't help allowing another small snicker to escape. Anyone that put the fear into Starscream was definitely on her list of mechs to respect.

"One of them sounds similar to Knock Out in respect to his appearance," she whispered. She had temporarily forgotten about the superior hearing the mechs possessed and let out a small gasp as she was suddenly confronted by 20 foot plus tall severely ticked off golden Autobot.

"Did you just dare to compare me to a Decepticreep?" Sunstreaker snarled. Brie's face paled as she took a step back, nearly stumbling in her haste to move away. Will immediately steadied her and shot the mech a dark glare, unfazed by his attitude.

"Back off Sunstreaker!" he warned. The mech merely crossed his arms and a dark smirk crossed across his face.

"Who's going to make me? Not you squishy," he drawled. A loud bang rang out and Sunny cursed as he grabbed at the back of his helm.

"HEY!" he growled. Ratchet stepped beside him, glaring. He tapped his foot pointedly as Prowl approached with the green mech she had seen earlier holding a squirming Sideswipe by an arm.

"You and Sideswipe are to report to the brig immediately," Prowl informed the fuming Sunstreaker coolly. Said mech spared a glare down at the cowering young female, who flinched even further back, before turning abruptly and marching in front of Prowl, with Sideswipe being pushed firmly behind them. Ratchet shook his head and muttered something in Cybertronian before focusing on Brie.

"I apologize for Sunstreaker's unpleasant…attitude. He still has yet to see humans as nothing more than inferior beings to avoid stepping on," he sighed. Brie shot Will a worried look, who patted her arm reassuringly.

"Don't worry, you will rarely see him. You might see his twin Sideswipe more often. He's the silver one. He's much more laid back," he said. Brie still looked worried.

"I didn't mean…" her voice trailed off and Ratchet chuckled.

"You're ok Brie. He was just annoyed because Ironhide caught him before he could get away into his and Sideswipe's quarters," he said.

"Ironhide?" she queried, wondering why she vaguely remembered hearing that name.

"He's our weapons specialist. He's not normally green," Ratchet explained as an annoyed look flashed in his optics at the reminder of the twins' latest prank.

"He's normally black. Unfortunately the terror twins as you're commonly hear them referred to, caught sight of a box of Lucky Charms and decided to make Ironhide look like the leprechaun…with a few modifications," Will said even as he tried, and failed, to stifle his laugher.

"So that's why I heard Epps make that crack," Brie murmured, ducking her head to keep her smile from showing. She missed the look Ratchet and Will exchanged.

"Yeah Epps had a small hand in that prank," Will smirked.

"Just don't tell Ironhide or he'll make things worse for Epps!" Ratchet added hastily.

"I thought that Autobots couldn't hurt humans," Brie said, puzzled. Ratchet nodded.

"That's true…but it doesn't mean he won't find some way to torture the soldier," he replied. With a nod he turned and walked down the hallway towards med bay. Brie thought she might have gotten away from her checkup when he threw his final words over his shoulder.

"I expect to see you in med bay later!"


	5. Probing Questions

**So here's the next chapter. Struggled a bit with it. Wanted to give a hint as to some of the medical things Brie has been through without going into detail yet. I will say that I know whatever spills from my mind isn't in any way possible (even if Transformers were real lol) but it's just a twist I decided I liked to go with. Brie will most likely suffer from panic attacks for quite some time and certain mechs aren't going to help any (for the moment) ;). Anyways hope you enjoy!**

Ratchet's words continued to loop through Brie's mind as she picked at her breakfast. She was aware of Sam and Mikaela's worried looks and she forced a wan smile to her face. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was about to be on the receiving end of a harsh punishment. She was actually daring to sit and eat with other humans instead of serving them and waiting for the scraps.

"Come on Brie you need to eat," Mikaela said, her concern over the young girl's fragile state clouding her voice. Brie sighed softly.

"It doesn't feel right," she murmured. Sam frowned at the statement.

"What doesn't feel right?" he finally asked. Brie set her fork aside as she fixed her gaze on the table.

"I shouldn't be eating yet. There's so much work to be done. I really don't want to upset anyone by slacking off," she replied. There was a sound of forks clattering down onto the table and Brie tensed. She had reminded the couple of her status and now she was going to pay for forgetting her place.

"Brie…" Mikaela's voice trailed off. She just didn't know what to say. The girl had been through a rigid schedule from the moment she had been captured by the 'Cons. The fact that it had obviously been humans who had done the greatest mental and emotional damage so far was something that neither Sam nor Mikaela cared to think too much about.

"Brie, you don't have to worry about work here. We all pitch in. For the moment your duty is to simply relax and focus on getting better," Will said as he and Epps joined them at the table. Brie glanced up quickly before glancing back down again, fidgeting.

"I can't. It's my job to serve you. Please…let me do my job! I don't want to get in trouble!" Brie's voice began to tremble and grow in volume, attracting attention. Mikaela immediately put a soothing hand on the shaking young woman's arm.

"Brie no one's going to hurt you. Why is this so important to you?" Will asked. Brie shook her head. There was no way to describe why she felt so panicked. All she knew was that she needed to return to her daily routine or she would be punished. Lord Megatron would be unhappy with her for slacking off.

"I...can't!" with those anguished words Brie jumped up from the table and fled from the room, startling everyone. Will stood to go after her, only to be stopped by a hand on his arm from Mikaela.

"Let her go Will. She's overwhelmed. We can approach her when she calms down," she said quietly. Will looked indecisive for a moment before sighing and sitting back down. He reached for his own fork before setting it back down again.

"I wish I knew what those bastards did to her!" he growled as he slammed a hand down on the table. Sam and Mikaela jumped, startled by the soldier's sudden movement. Only Epps seemed unfazed, though the look on his face suggested that he was as angry as Will was.

"Why don't we ask Mirage or Jazz? They were there quite a bit," Sam suggested. Will started at the young boy before jumping up and rushing from the room. Epps exchanged looks with Sam and Mikaela and as one they stood to follow the soldier. Those two mechs were the only two, outside of Brie, who could give them a hint as to what the girl had gone through and how they could possibly help her.

Brie found herself standing before the med bay, unsure of whether to knock or just enter. She knew Ratchet had wanted to see her and she knew from experience that trying to avoid the medics when they wanted to examine you meant an even more painful experience when they finally did track you down. Ratchet didn't seem to be that type, though she was sure that some Autobots would disagree. She blinked as the door opened and she found herself staring at one of Ratchet's legs.

"Brianna I must admit that this is a surprise. Most of my patients usually have to be dragged her kicking and screaming," he chuckled as he knelt down to offer her a hand. Brie stepped onto it silently and Ratchet frowned as he did a quick scan on her. Her blood pressure was elevated and her heartbeat was increased. She was obviously under a great deal of stress. From what though he wasn't sure. Being freed from Decepticon slavery should have made her more relaxed not even more stressed out.

"Yeah I figured I'd be one of your easier ones. No sense in trying to avoid the inevitable," she replied quietly. Ratchet carried her over to one of the examination berths and set her down gently. She made no attempt to move and Ratchet grew even more concerned. The tremors wracking her body turned into full blown shudders and he stepped back to examine her. The girl was obviously terrified of him and he didn't know how to handle her without furthering her fear.

"Brianna, I will not hurt you," he said softly. Brianna wrapped her arms around herself and nodded, though she refused to look up at him.

"Please…c-can we get this over with?" she whispered. Ratchet vented softly and nodded.

"All right Brianna I'm going to run a few surface scans before moving onto the deeper ones. You let me know at any time if you feel uncomfortable or are in pain and I'll stop. We can talk afterwards," he said as his voice cooled into the normal detached mode that he used most often on the humans that came to him. He found that using a professional voice helped them feel at ease. He saved his usual grumpy bedside manner for the mechs that were foolish enough to injure themselves doing stupid things or glitched enough to try and avoid their scheduled checkups.

Brie forced herself to remain still as Ratchet began the scans. They weren't painful, unlike Scalpel's; the little demented crab thing seemed to enjoy inflicting as much pain as he could. No, Ratchet's produced more of a tingling feeling than anything and she felt herself relaxing somewhat. Though she was a wreck wondering just exactly what he was going to find.

Ratchet himself was disturbed by the results that he was receiving. He subtly deepened the scans, keeping a close watch to ensure that Brie wasn't feeling any pain. Satisfied that she was doing ok, he focused his attention on his findings.

_'What in the name of Primus were they doing?'_ he thought in horror as he examined the results. He finished the scans and straightened, turning away quickly so that she was unable to see the dark look on his face.

"Brianna, how have you been feeling lately?" he asked, keeping his voice cool and professional, though it was hard. He was angry, not at the young girl, but for her. The 'Cons had been obviously tampering with human biology, for what purpose he still didn't know. Whatever the reason they had drastically altered Brie and only time and careful monitoring would tell what the effects would be. Brie frowned at the question.

"No different than usual. Just tired and draggy. That's only because I don't sleep much," she replied. Ratchet nodded, making notes on a datapad that seemed to appear from nowhere.

"How is your appetite? You are much too thin for your height," he said sternly. Brie shrugged slightly, though she was a bit nervous at his tone. Had she angered him just by being too thin?

"I usually don't eat much. By the time I'm through with my chores there's not much left. That's ok though, Lord Megatron doesn't like humans who are too plump," she replied. She flinched as a growl emerged from Ratchet before he could stop it.

"You don't have to worry about that here. I want you to have at least five or six small meals a day. It's best to break it up so you don't over eat and make yourself ill. This will ensure that you gain a healthy weight and receive the proper nutrients as well," he said as he fixed his piercing gaze on her. Brie nodded slightly, though she didn't see how that was going to be possible.

Ratchet studied the young girl carefully. Though she was too thin, she was obviously a fully grown female. She had developed according to her genes, but there was one major factor that troubled him. Most humans her age had a monthly cycle. It was a part of the human female reproduction process. His scans turned up evidence that she suffered no such things, though it was obvious that she was highly fertile. Whatever the Cons had been up to they had altered her reproduction processes. Even more disturbing was the way her organs seemed to have been altered as well. It was as if they were being readied for conception and Ratchet somehow felt that it wasn't for human conception. The 'Cons were attempting to make the human females compatible with Cybertronians for the purpose of reproducing. It was enough to make the medic see red as the humans would say. It was a violation of the worst kind and now Ratchet could understand Brie's fear of medics. The process would have been extremely painful and with Scalpel doing the experiments…it was a wonder that he could get anywhere near Brie at all.

"Brianna I know this next question is highly uncomfortable for you but…have you had your monthly cycle since being captured?" he asked gently. Brie blushed to the roots of her hair and fixed her gaze firmly on the surface underneath her feet. She felt the weight of the mech's stare on her and she squirmed in embarrassment.

"Not…not since the first few months after my capture. When we were settled the females were brought to Scalpel to begin the experiments," she whispered. Ratchet nodded abruptly as his concerns were cemented.

"What exactly did he do?" he asked. Brie began to shake violently, the memories trying to crowd her mind. Ratchet immediately picked up on her distress and quickly activated his holoform. He reached out and caught her just as she began to collapse, easing her onto the berth gently.

"I…I c-can't. P-Please…" she whispered, curling up into a protective fetal position. Ratchet cursed as he deactivated his holoform and reached for a small syringe.

"It's ok Brianna you don't have to tell me. I'm going to give you something to help you rest," he said soothingly as he again activated the holoform and approached with the syringe. Brie made no attempt to avoid it, barely flinching as he injected it as gently as he could. He backed off and watched carefully as Brie began to relax. Within moments the sedative was taking effect and Brie's eyes began to droop. He deactivated his holoform and vented softly as the girl finally slipped into a drug induced slumber. He heard the med bay door open and turned to Optimus, who had been summoned during the examination by a silent com from Ratchet.

"How is she?" he asked, his gaze landing on the now peacefully sleeping young woman. Ratchet shook his head, his optics dark with anger.

"Physically, she's in good shape; with the exception of being under nourished and lack of decent rest. Optimus, the 'Cons were performing some disturbing experiments," he replied. Optimus turned his attention to him, though he moved to cup a large hand protectively around Brie.

"What kind of experiments?" he asked. Ratchet shrugged slightly.

"I can't say for sure. I do know that whatever they were it was designed to alter human reproduction abilities," he growled. Optimus looked startled at the implications.

"You don't mean…" his voice trailed off helplessly as Ratchet dipped his head sharply.

"Brianna was exposed to the Allspark…multiple times. The worst of it though…" Ratchet paused for a moment to gain control of his anger before continuing.

"The worst of it is the fact that she has been operated on without permission. Optimus, they have placed a small part of the Allspark within her," he said. Optimus growled deeply, his optics flashing.

"What…effect is this having on her?" he asked, curling his hand even more around the fragile human, as if to protect her from Ratchet's words. Ratchet fixed his gaze on Optimus. His next words underscored just how uncertain the unconscious young woman's future was.

"I honestly do not know Optimus. All I can say for certainty is that her internal organs have been altered. If I didn't know better, I'd say that they were preparing to undergo a transformation."


	6. Expected and Unexpected Meetings

**Ok so some of the characters will more than likely end up being OOC but hey, I do what I can. Much of this was written while in the grip of a painkiller for my back so not sure how much I like it. I will say I rewrote this thing three times before deciding that it was good enough. Now...as for updates.**

**I'm going to try and update on a somewhat regular basis (as much as I can) but due to the fact that as soon as the insurance clears it I'll be having back surgery I'm not sure what a realistic time frame is. I've also considered putting this on since some chapters may be explicit in sexual, fighting or other kinds of nature. If so I'll edit the more explicit chapter to fit into the guidelines set here.**

**Before I close this quick note I want to give a shout out to two of my favorite writers and their fics, both of them being a jumping point of sorts for my attempt at this one. First is 'Science and Fiction' by the ever talented Faecat. I get so excited when I see a notice that she has updated and I thank her for her agreeing to let me talk to her should I have any questions in regards to certain things. If I use any other ideas from another author I will be getting his/her permission before I do so and give full credit to them.**

**My second shoutout goes to DaemonicKitten and her wonderful fic 'Her Twins'. Another fic I HIGHLY recommend and another reason I have decided to attempt this fic. She has given me some wonderful advice and I do hope that I do justice. I will note that some elements might resemble hers slightly and I have contacted her for permission. I will go back and reedit some chapters if the need arises. **

**With this rather long author's note I'll close and say I hope you enjoy and I again for any characters that are too OOC.**

Before Brie knew it two weeks had gone by since she had been taken into the safety by the Autobots. During that time she attempted to follow Ratchet's instructions, though there were days that she could only manage to eat two meals. Her moods fluctuated between anxiety, fear, anger and depression. Sam and the others found that during the times when she was overcome by an overwhelming anxiety it was best to back off and allow her to deal with it as she was comfortable with.

During this time period she continued to have daily checkups with Ratchet. While he seemed pleased with her slight weight gain he was deeply disturbed by something else. Despite her attempts to get information he was steadfast in his refusal to discuss the results of his nearly constant scans. Queries directed to Jolt and First Aid, who she had become familiar and somewhat comfortable with during her many exams, netted the same results. She found their refusal to discuss things only heightened her anxiety. What in the hell had that demented little medic done to her with his exams and experiments?

In return Brie refused to elaborate on the exact nature of the horrors she had been subjected to. Despite Ratchet's subtle and gentle probing even the mere thought of reliving those dark times sent her spiraling into one of her severe panic attacks. It was during those times that Brie realized that there was something wrong with her; something that she knew she would have to confront in the very near future.

Sam, Mikaela and Jazz were a vital part in helping her to maintain the tenuous grip she had on her sanity. They always seemed to have an uncanny sense of when things were beginning to weigh on her too heavily and would whisk her away for some mind numbing activity that allowed her to ignore the impending sense of doom that seemed to surround her on a constant basis.

During the last part of her first week she had begun to meet a few select Autobots. Optimus had brought her into a meeting with Jazz, who she was extremely comfortable with due to the amount of time spent with him, and Optimus' SIC Prowl. The whole experience had been slightly uncomfortable for Brie not because of Optimus or Jazz, but simply because she had no clue on how to act around Prowl. He wasn't pushy or temperamental like some of the other Bots she had observed; he was simply logical. He was very well organized and detail orientated, managing to pull details here and there of her daily life and routines with the 'Cons without her being fully aware of it. His cool logical demeanor made her realize just how effective of a battle strategist he was and she could see why he was in charge of meting out punishments.

She would soon learn that there was a vulnerability in the mech's processors. His logical processor simply could not handle anything illogical. Attempting to deal with any situation that made no sense to him resulted in him 'glitching' and going offline for a short period of time. Apparently it was a well-known problem, as certain mechs made it their mission to trip his glitch as much as possible. It usually resulted in wrenches being thrown at said mechs and brig time once the mech was brought back online. Even Jazz was guilty of doing it from time to time.

The next Autobot she met was Optimus' Sparkmate, Elita-1. Brie had to admit that she hadn't known what to expect. From the experiments the 'Cons had been performing and their actions, she had assumed that there weren't any females for them to mate with. She had been wrong.

Elita had stared at her for several long minutes, leaving Brie feeling as if she was an insect under a microscope. She had suddenly been plucked from Optimus' hand and brought to the female commander's chest plates, her digits curling up around her in a protective gesture that startled the young girl. She glanced to Optimus and was even more puzzled to see him smiling. She had a sudden sense that she had obviously missed something.

In the end she had found herself adopted by Elita and Optimus, something she definitely hadn't seen coming. She found herself fighting back tears as Elita murmured soothingly to her while Optimus gently stroked a finger along her back. For the first time in two years she had someone making her feel safe and treasured. It was a feeling that she had never thought to experience again and she finally allowed herself to cry out her pain and fear as the two Autobots held her close.

_~I wish we knew what the 'Cons had done to her!~_ Elita vented as she tucked the girl closer to her chest. Optimus stroked a hand along her back as his optics darkened.

_~Ratchet is unable to get her to speak of any of the experiments that she suffered,~_ he replied with a soft sound of anger. Elita felt Brie shift slightly and glanced down to see that she had fallen asleep.

_~She has only been here a short time. Perhaps when she trusts us more…~_ Elita said and Optimus nodded slightly.

_~Until then we will make sure no further harm comes to her,~_ Optimus' voice was firm and Elita's optics grew cold. Primus help whoever attempted to hurt the girl who was now for all intents and purposes their adopted Sparkling.

The day after meeting Elita, and finding herself with a set of new and very overprotective parents, her introductions to the Autobots continued. She had met Ironhide and was instantly wary of him. She couldn't help but remember his threats from the day that he had been 'pranked' though Jazz was quick to assure her that the mech would merely find a way to prank the soldier in return. Autobots were never to harm humans, though there were times that that rule was sorely tested. No, Ironhide saves his physical aggression for the 'Cons he met on the battlefield…or the two sets of twins if he managed to get ahold of them after they slagged him off. She had relaxed at those words, and the reassurances from Ironhide's mate Chromia that he was nothing more than a cuddly teddy bear which brought snickers from Jazz and a glare at his femme from said mech. Her curiosity had raised its head at the sight of his cannons and she immediately began to ask about them. Jazz had groaned and Chromia had rolled her optics good naturedly as Ironhide perked up and began to answer her questions. By the end of the meeting she had agreed to watch him train sometime and had watched Ironhide walk off with Chromia, visibly pleased at her interest.

"Ah gotta hand it to ya femme, ya knew tha best way ta get on 'Hide's good side," Jazz chuckled as they moved down the hallway. Ratchet had grudgingly allowed Brie to skip her daily checkup, choosing to spend the time going over the unusual findings of his daily scans with Jolt and First Aid. Though Brie was still visibly nervous and wary of her surroundings, she was doing better than they had expected. It helped that she was with a mech that she fully trusted to keep her safe.

"Given that he is your weapons expert I figured he'd be eager to show off his weapons," she replied softly. Jazz dipped his head in acknowledgment of her words.

"Ya got that right. 'Hide never misses a chance ta show off," he smirked. Brie smiled slightly. Men, no matter what species, were all the same when it came to showing off their toys.

"Ah think ya will like Bee," he said as they entered the rec room. Immediately all conversation ceased as optics and eyes turned their way and Brie had to fight down the urge to beg Jazz to leave. One of the very first things she had learned during her time with the 'Cons was that nothing good came from having too much attention focused on you. She was aware of the red elegant looking mech observing her, as well as another femme that she vaguely recalled seeing around though she had yet to meet her. There were more Autobots as well as humans in the room but Brie found it easier to focus her attention on one at a time. It was less overwhelming for her that way.

"Easy Brie Ah won' let any harm come ta ya," Jazz murmured softly. Brie forced herself to relax and her eyes fixed on the yellow and black striped mech sitting on the couch. Jazz was moving towards him and Brie could see nothing but friendly curiosity in his blue optics. At the sight of Sam and Mikaela sitting on his shoulders she felt herself relaxing.

"Hey Bee, Ah see ya have Sam an' 'Kaela with ya," he smiled as he moved to stand before the mech. Bumblebee nodded as the two humans waved up at Brie cheerfully. Brie waved back slightly before focusing her attention on the curious 'Bot in front of her. At the sight of his innocent blue optics she couldn't help the words that escaped.

"He's so cute!" Brie's eyes immediately widened and she slapped a hand over her mouth as laughter rang out throughout the room. Bumblebee's optics brightened as he quickly placed a hand over them, seemingly embarrassed. Brie started to apologize but a gentle poke in her back from Jazz made her realize that Bumblebee wasn't upset or embarrassed; he was amused at her words.

"Bee gets that response a lot," Sam called up as he poked at the mech in amusement. Bumblebee made a soft sound before uncovering his optics, reaching out a finger to Brie. After a moment's hesitation she reached out and wrapped as much of her hand around it as she could, gently 'shaking' hands with Bee.

"Bee's vocal processors were damaged on Cybertron. Ah think that ol' Ratch just about has 'em fixed though," Jazz explained.

"He just needs a few more treatments and he'll be able to flirt with you in no time!" Mikaela laughed. Bee shook a finger at her playfully and Brie blushed as she laughed. She immediately looked surprised by the sound. It had been so long since she had actually laughed that she had forgotten what it sounded like.

Jazz exchanged a smug look with Bumblebee. The scout's optics twinkled knowingly. The meeting couldn't possibly have gone any better. Jazz had commed him earlier and Bumblebee had been only too happy to oblige. The more Autobots Brie met and learned to trust the smoother her transition would be…and the easier it would be for her to speak of the horrors she had suffered that neither he nor Mirage had been privy to.

"Slag!" Jazz's hiss brought Brie's attention to him and she was puzzled by the suddenly cold look she saw on his face. She shifted her gaze and shrank down involuntarily at the sight of the golden mech that she had briefly encountered two weeks earlier strolling into the room. Bumblebee immediately stood, shifting a startled Sam and Mikaela into a hand as Jazz slid behind him slightly in preparation of a quick and silent departure from the room. It had been soundly agreed that Brie wasn't to be exposed to the twins until it was absolutely necessary; especially since she had already been given a taste of Sunstreaker's volatile temperament. Unfortunately Sideswipe happened to glance over at that moment and spotted the small saboteur.

"Hey Jazz! Where you going? What's that you have in your hand?" Sideswipe's voice contained nothing but curiosity as he skated over to where Jazz stood tensely. He glanced down and his optics stared in surprise at the sight of the tiny human female attempting to hide behind Jazz's slightly curled up clawed digits. Obviously this was the femme that he had been hearing so much about; the one that he had been attempting to see without success for the past week. He frowned slightly. She appeared vaguely familiar but he couldn't place where he might have encountered her before.

"Hey Sunny!" he called out, his attention still focused on the girl. He saw her peer up at him slightly before ducking her head down again and his curiosity perked up even more.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" his twin growled back in annoyance. Seeing that something had Sideswipe fascinated, he stalked over to see what it was. Another growl escaped him, his optics narrowing, as he caught sight of the human femme that had had the audacity to compare him to a Decepticon two weeks earlier.

"J-Jazz c-can we go? Please?" Brie whispered. She was shaken by the animosity she saw glimmering in the golden mech's optics. She had only encountered him once and despite her admiration of his striking appearance that run in had been more than enough for her. Upon realizing that she had insulted one of the finest frontliners the Autobots had, one that kept the Seekers on their guard and the ground mechs actively seeking to avoid them, she had understood why. She definitely didn't want to be a 'Con stuck facing him or his twin in the battlefield.

"Who is she Jazz?" Sideswipe asked. He was confused by the anger and hostility he felt radiating across the bond he shared with Sunstreaker. He still couldn't place where he or his brother might have encountered her before. Something about her certainly seemed to set off his twin and he didn't think it was because she was a runaway 'Con pet.

"You owe me an apology human!" Sunstreaker hissed as he glared at the terrified young girl. Brie felt her heart begin to race and her head begin to throb in response to the sheer terror coursing through her veins. Sideswipe stared at his brother, more confused than ever. What in the name of Primus did the femme have to apologize for?

"Back off Sunny!" Jazz warned as he shifted slightly. He saw Bee moving to stand beside him, prepared to take Brie should things turn physical. The humans in the room quickly scattered to avoid being squished even as the mechs and lone femme in the room prepared to intervene. At Jazz's words Sunstreaker's optics flashed as he let out a low feral snarl.

"Tell the human to apologize!" he growled in response. Brie shrank down even more as Sideswipe's gaze flickered from the girl to his fuming brother and back.

"Apologize for what Sunny? How do you know the femme?" he asked. Sunstreaker never took his glittering optics off Brie as he answered.

"The squishy here stated that I reminded her of a 'Con. I'm waiting human!" he snapped. Sideswipe's optics widened as he stared at Brie in surprise.

"Are you glitched femme? Why in the pit would you even think something like that?" he asked. Brie merely curled up even tighter as Jazz's visor flashed in warning.

"Ah mean it Sunny! Back…off!" he hissed. Sunstreaker's optics shifted to the smaller mech momentarily before dismissing him and returning his attention to the offending organic in Jazz's hand. He shuddered slightly. He didn't understand how anybot could stand having a human touch them or even ride in them. They left all kinds of disgusting oils and bodily secretions and Sunstreaker had on more than one occasion given a human a very firm warning against getting too close to him.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry," Brie whispered, her teeth chattering from the force her shaking as fear ricocheted through her. It was a fear that she felt every time she had been dragged to the med bay for more of Scalpel's examinations and she felt the dark edge of unconsciousness creeping closer. It was both a welcome and dreaded sensation. Welcomed because she would be free of the current tension she was caught in; dreaded because she knew it would mean an all too vivid remembrance of the things Scalpel had put her through. She felt Jazz curl his clawed digits up slightly higher to shield her and she welcomed the soothing protection they offered.

"Ya got yer apology Sunny now get outta here!" Jazz snarled. Sunstreaker looked at him for a moment, disgusted by his attitude. Suddenly a dark evil smirk appeared on his face and he crossed his arms over his chest as he fixed his optics back on the angry saboteur.

"What's wrong Jazz? Did I upset your pet?" he purred. Brie suddenly found herself dropped gently into Bumblebee's waiting hand just before Jazz exploded in a flurry of movement, launching himself at Sunstreaker and sending them both flying across the room. Bumblebee immediately darted out of the room, holding all three humans close to him for protection as several 'Bots moved to pull the two brawling mechs apart. Bee flattened himself against the wall as Ironhide and Ratchet came running from different ends of the hallway, with Prowl and Optimus following close behind.

"What happened Bumblebee?" Optimus paused to ask as Ironhide and Ratchet stormed in. Both mechs cringed at the sound of Ironhide's shouts and the sound of Ratchet bouncing wrenches off of helms.

::Jazz brought Brie into the rec room. He figured that if we met it would give her another mech to feel comfortable interacting with. Sunny came in and picked a fight, saying that she owed him an apology. She did so, even though she was so frightened she could barely speak. Sunstreaker took it a step farther by taunting Jazz about her,:: he explained. Optimus' optics drifted down to the silent trembling young woman and anger flared in his optics as he sent a swift response to Elita's concerned query. He had promised her that she was safe here and Sunstreaker's actions had upset the fragile trust she had had in them. Without another word he turned and stalked into the room and Bee cringed. Optimus was NOT happy and there was, as the humans said, going to be hell to pay.

"SUNSTREAKER, JAZZ! STAND DOWN NOW!" his voice roared out above the commotion of the fighting and silence instantly reigned. Ratchet stalked from the room, muttering angrily, and over to where Bee stood. He took one look at the pale and violently shaking form of the female in the mech's hand and ran a quick scan over her. The results were not good.

"Bumblebee bring her to med bay quickly!" he snapped as he moved down the hall to the med bay with a speed that worried the mech greatly. When Ratchet moved that swiftly things were very dire indeed. He followed the medic, Sam and Mikaela watching Brie worriedly. She was obviously in distress and whatever Ratchet had seen didn't bode well for her health. They could only hope that for her sake Ratchet could help her.


	7. More unanswered questions

**Ok I'm having a bit of formatting issues with this chapter. I'm trying to figure out why everything is in italics instead of just the flashback. Please bear with me as I try to fix this.**

Megatron stared down at the scantily clad human female before him, his face giving away none of the thoughts running through his processors. In the two weeks that Brie had been gone, Megatron's mood had grown fouler. The brig was full of humans, male and female, who had displeased the Decepticon leader in some way. They were the lucky ones. The morgue was rapidly filling up with the bodies of the humans terminated either by Megatron's claws or if he couldn't be bothered to expend the energy, by Barricade. They would have to have a mass burning soon in order to make room for other humans offlined for various reasons. The sound of Starscream's voice pulled the mech from his thoughts and he slowly allowed his red optics to rise to fix on his preening SIC.

"As you can see Lord Megatron, this femme is very pleasing to the optic. Scalpel assures me that with just a few more treatments she will be ready. I must say she is even more…ACK!" Starscream's words were abruptly cut off as Megatron's arm shot out, his clawed hand wrapping around the Seeker's throat and lifting him from the ground.

"Do you take me for a fool Starscream?" he snarled, his optics darkening in his rage. Starscream could only manage to let out a few choking sounds of denial as Megatron stood and turned, slamming him into the wall beside his throne. The human female shrieked and scrambled to get out of the way, fleeing across the room. Her escape was abruptly halted as she ran into one of Barricade's legs, bouncing off of it to land on the floor. She could only sit there, dazed, as Barricade awaited Megatron's orders. The Decepticon leader never spared a glance at the hapless female as he spoke.

"Remove the human and take her to Sideways. He can do whatever he wishes with her," he growled.

"As you wish Lord Megatron," Barricade said as he reached down and scooped up the human carelessly before leaving the room. Starscream found himself dropped abruptly to the floor before being sent flying across the room by one well-placed kick from his furious leader.

"Why are you wasting time bringing such inferior insects before me instead of looking for the human that escaped?" he hissed. Starscream backpedaled away from the mech, struggling to get his vocal processors back online to respond. He finally was able to choke out a response.

"I-I apologize L-Lord Megatron. I-I meant no disrespect!" he rasped. He cringed as Megatron leaned down to grab him again before suddenly pausing.

"I would suggest you spend your time looking for the girl instead of bringing me humans that aren't worth my time! Get out of my sight and do not return unless you have news of the femme!" With those words Megatron stepped back and watched as his cowardly SIC fled the room as if one of the Autoscum twins was on his aft. He turned and stalked over to the window, glaring down at the humans slaving below. His whispered words echoed throughout the room and sent an uncharacteristic chill through the silently observing Barricade's frame.

"I will have the girl no matter what it takes."

"Set the girl down and move out of the way Bumblebee! I need to stabilize her before…" his words trailed off and Bumblebee did as instructed before stepping out of the way. He didn't leave the room however, his worried optics watching every move Ratchet and the other two medics made. Sam and Mikaela remained quiet, watching as well. Whatever was wrong with Brie was obviously something that could be life threatening if Ratchet didn't get it under control.

"Jolt, First Aid! Holoforms on and turn the femme! I may need you to hold her still so I can administer the sedative!" Ratchet snapped. The two mechs jumped into action and Bee watched nervously as they approached her. They knelt down, one gently grasping her arms and the other her legs. It was then that all hell broke loose.

__

"NO!" Brie struggled wildly against the two men, trying in vain to dig her heels in. It didn't work as the two stony faced males continued to drag her forward. Her face paled the closer she got to the 'room of doom' as she had overheard it called until she resembled a ghost. Her struggles increased until one of the guards smacked her on the back of her head, not hard enough to really hurt but with enough force to let her know that they meant business. Brie's struggles immediately died down, though her legs threatened to give way underneath her.

_"Please…don't do this," she whimpered as she tried to appeal to the men's sense of honor. Neither paid her any attention and she realized that they had willingly chosen to pledge their loyalties to the Decepticons. She shuddered violently. She could only imagine the 'rewards' they would be given for their voluntary services._

_The terrified teenager was pulled into the spacious room and towards a small human gurney. She cringed at the sight of the blood spattered along the floor and the smell of charred flesh threatened to make her vomit. _

_"Strip," the command was issued in a flat voice and left no doubt that they wouldn't hesitate to do it for her. With hands that shook, Brie pulled off her shirt and unfastened her bra, allowing it to drop to the floor. Her face so red it appeared as if she had been covered in blood, she reached down and unfastened her shorts and allowed them to fall to the floor. She kicked off her shoes and socks and hesitated, her eyes pleading with the two men. She had never been unclothed before a male before; her upbringing serving to strengthen her conviction to save herself for marriage. The two men merely stared at her, as if her lack of clothing meant nothing to them, and she closed her eyes tight as she peeled off her panties, leaving her exposed and vulnerable in the chilly atmosphere._

_"Get on the bed," the order was issued in the same flat voice and Brie shuddered again as she reluctantly did so. Immediately the two men moved to restrain her, strapping her arms above her head and spreading her legs before strapping them down as well. Brie whimpered, too frightened and shamed to even attempt an even louder sound. The two men turned and exited the room, leaving the young girl alone with her thoughts._

"Slag it!" Jolt cursed as one of her wild kicks managed to connect with his holoform's leg. Ratchet watched in horror as the young girl thrashed about, her screams ringing out in the air and drawing a wince from the mechs and horrified cries from the two humans.

"Bumblebee you and the humans need to leave!" Ratchet snapped. Bumblebee hesitated but at a dark glare from the medic and a twitch of a hand towards a wrench he hastily exited the room. Once he was gone Ratchet turned his attention to the writhing form of the female and his optics glittered with a mixture of rage, fear and sorrow for the young female. It was more than obvious that she was experiencing a flashback of some sort. Unfortunately he couldn't let her go until the sedative was administered.

__

Brie's breathing stilled in her throat as she watched the large form of the red mech enter the room. She had heard him referred to as 'Knock Out' and knew he was one of the 'Con medics. She shivered as she watched him prepare the tools needed for her exam and branding. This mech she could at least deal with touching her. It was the rumors of the other one that had icy terror flowing through her veins.

_"Well human I must say that you are much better behaved than the femmes before you," Knock Out drawled as he shot the girl a sly smirk. Brie said nothing and the medic nodded his approval. It was much easier to do what he needed to when the humans didn't struggle. Though he knew that would change when Scalpel made his appearance. Ah, speaking of the mech…_

_"No…oh God NO!" the words were torn from Brie's throat as she heard the soft tell-tale sounds of legs scrabbling across the floor. She had overheard several of the other captive women speaking of the little demented crab like Decepticon medic and from what she had learned he was one of the most twisted and cruel medics the 'Cons had. Apparently he liked to perform 'experiments' on humans and he had already chosen several of the more attractive females for his subjects on a top secret experiment._

_"Vat do ve have here?" Brie couldn't stifle the scream that escaped her throat at the sight of the little crab like mech that suddenly appeared at the end of the gurney. She saw Knock Out wince and shoot her a dirty glare but she couldn't stop herself. The little mech's optics gleamed behind the glasses he was inexplicably wearing and she cringed as she felt his little spider like legs skating across the smooth skin of her upper thighs._

_"Yes she is a very attractive specimen. More than any of the other femmes. Lord Megatron vill be pleased," he murmured as his optics took note of every square inch of her bare flesh. Brie struggled against the restraints and Scalpel actually laughed._

_"Such spirit too! A very fine specimen! I vill start with her! But first ze examination," he cackled. Brie could only scream as she felt him probing her most sensitive area, until she finally had no voice left._

_"Ze girl is untouched! A rarity! Such a prize!" Scalpel hissed as he left his explorations of her lower body and moved his way up. She felt his scans and shuddered as one of his legs drew a shallow cut across one of her breasts, allowing a thin trickle of blood to well up to the surface. He gestured to the larger mech and Brie closed her eyes tight as Knock Out knelt down to collect a small sample in a vial before moving back to his original position by a series of machines and other tools._

_"Open up!" the hissed words were accompanied by the feeling of the crab bot's legs prying open her mouth to examine her teeth._

_"Excellent condition!" he exclaimed as he removed his legs and scrambled to a position beside her head. She once again felt him scanning her and tried once again to scream, only to have a hoarse sound escape from her abused vocal cords._

_"Knock Out! Prepare ze room for ze girl! Ve will need her close! Ve must examine ze other femmes before beginning ze experiments!" Scalpel commanded. He scrambled off the bed and out of the room, leaving Knock Out to snap his fingers nonchalantly. The same two men from earlier entered the room and released the restraints, waiting pointedly until she had dressed shakily and glancing to the medic standing idly nearby._

_"Take her to the room that has been prepared," he said coolly. Brie felt the men latch onto her arms and followed them docilely out of the room, feeling numb. It wasn't until after she was locked in that the icy feeling that had invaded her systems faded and she curled up into a fetal position in a corner and began to cry. After experiencing the exam she could only imagine what horrors the experiments would entail. She hadn't even been branded yet! What had the little freak meant by starting with her?_

Ratchet finally managed to inject the sedative and nodded to the two holoforms. Jolt and First Aid released her and stepped back, prepared to dodge any further violent movements. To their relief Brie's struggles had stopped the moment they released her. Their relief turned to concern as she seemed to pull into herself, her eyes going blank and they knew it wasn't from the sedative. She was withdrawing from her surroundings and it was only after the sedative took effect and she passed into an exhausted sleep that the holoforms flickered out of existence and the two medics gazed at Ratchet wordlessly. Ratchet ran a weary hand down his face as he gazed sadly at the now peaceful girl as one question flickered through his processor.

_'What in the name of Primus did they DO to you?'_

Starscream flew aimlessly across the countryside, half-heartedly searching for signs of the girl's tracks. Flanking him were Thundercracker and Skywarp, each remaining silent. They had heard the uproar in Megatron's throne room and quickly followed Starscream as he transformed and tore out of the base. Now, they were reluctant to bring up the question that was hovering in the air, unspoken.

"The girl couldn't have gotten too far, even with help. Barricade was on duty during the time that her disappearance was discovered," Starscream muttered to himself. The other two Seekers exchanged a long glance before Skywarp finally spoke hesitantly.

"Perhaps an Autobot had been waiting for her nearby?" he said as he prepared to move out of the way of Starscream should he choose to turn abruptly. The SIC snorted bitterly.

"I think it is safe to say that that is a given. The question is where?" he snarled. Thundercracker vented softly.

"Well, maybe we should transform and search the nearby towns. The humans have to emerge occasionally to scout out things. They have to have left some sign of their presence," he suggested. Starscream paused then began to descend abruptly, the other two mechs hastily following him. As much as he hated to admit it, Thundercracker had a valid point. It was time to take the search to the ground.

_'Once I find that human I will find out what is so special about her. She might be the key to overthrowing Lord Megatron and taking my rightful place as leader,'_ he thought. As he transformed and began to search the first town he failed to note the silent mech trailing behind him.

_'Ah Screamer, so predictable,'_ Barricade thought with a chuckle. Inside him, Frenzy cackled madly before a softly growled command silenced him. The moment the three Seekers had left the base Barricade had been assigned to trail them. He wasn't unaware of the fact that Soundwave was keeping tabs on him as well.

_'I need just the right moment and everything I have worked so hard for will come to fruition," _he smirked. He watched the three mechs stomp through the town, knowing that they would come up empty handed. Barricade had gotten the girl farther than any of them could have expected. Now it was time to begin the plan to his own escape. He had made a promise to protect the girl and Barricade was a mech who always kept his promises. There was no way in the pit he was going to allow the femme to suffer any more than she already had, even if it meant siding with the Autobots.


	8. Uncertainty and a mech's curiosity

_**Just a quick note. I'm going to be undergoing back surgery on the 25th and I'm not sure how long it'll be before I can be back up and typing. I'm going to try and update again next week and hopefully it won't be too long before I'm back on my feet.**_

The first thing Brie was aware of upon awakening was the dull throbbing headache. The second thing she realized was that her throat was extremely sore and dry, as if she had been screaming for an extended period of time. She frowned as she rubbed at her forehead wearily. What could have possibly happened and why couldn't she remember?

"You're awake," the sound of Ratchet's quiet voice broke Brie from her troubled musings and she turned to see the medic approaching her with a small cup of what she assumed was water. He carefully balanced it on one large hand and held it out; waiting until he was sure she had a firm grasp on the cup before letting go. She took a small sip of the water, grimacing at the way it seemed to burn her obviously overused vocal cords as it slid down.

"What…happened?" she managed to rasp out. Ratchet ran a quick scan over her, focusing on her throat for a moment before replying.

"I was hoping you could tell me but given the fact that your vocal cords have been strained I believe that explanations can wait," he said. Brie frowned at him but took another sip. Perhaps he had a point about the explanations…though she had no clue what she had to explain. In fact she had no recollection of what could have possibly landed her in the med bay in the first place.

"Elita and Optimus will be here momentarily. Both have been quite concerned about you," Ratchet added. Brie blinked, surprised. They had been concerned about her? She was nothing but a runaway slave. She shook her head slightly. Prime seemed to be the type to care for all human life and Elita…she wasn't sure what to make of her.

As if summoned by Ratchet's words, the med bay doors opened and allowed Elita and Optimus to enter. The female commander made a beeline for the startled girl and scooped her up, holding her close as she murmured something in a language that Brie had no hope of understanding.

"How is she Ratchet?" Optimus asked, watching his mate tend Brie and smiling slightly at the femme's confusion. It was obvious that she hadn't had anyone fuss over her in quite some time; possibly before her capture. He vented softly at the thought, the smile fading away. It was something she would quickly get used to, or so he hoped. Elita saw her as a sparkling that needed her and Primus help anyone who hurt the girl in any way.

"She's relatively stable for the moment. Her vocal cords are strained, due to her screaming during our treatment of her," Ratchet said softly. Optimus frowned. He glanced to Elita and they shared a look before she turned and exited the room, still holding Brie close to her. Once they were gone Optimus turned his full attention on the medic and awaited the full explanation, or at least from the time she had been taken to med bay until now.

"When we brought her into med bay her respiration and heartbeat were erratic. We set her down and I had Jolt and First Aid move to steady her as I injected a sedative to calm her. It would seem that just feeling them holding her set off a flashback of sorts that caused her to scream continuously until I managed to sedate her," he explained darkly. Optimus' optics narrowed.

"You mean a flashback to when they experimented on her," he growled. Ratchet nodded.

"I'm unsure of the exact nature of it though. Unless we can get her to open up we have no way of knowing what will set off a flashback or even the severity of it," he vented softly. Optimus nodded.

"I do know one thing. Sunstreaker is to be kept as far from her as possible," Optimus stated flatly. Ratchet focused on him suddenly.

"Sunstreaker? He's responsible for her condition?" he asked incredulously. Optimus nodded abruptly.

"From what I've gathered from both humans and other Autobots in the room, Jazz had brought Brie to meet Bumblebee. He figured that he would be a good choice for her to meet next," he began. Ratchet's lips twitched slightly. Bumblebee would be a good choice for anyone to meet. The 'Bot just had that air about him.

"Sunstreaker came into the room and Brie grew afraid at the sight of him. She asked Jazz if they could leave but before they could Sunstreaker approached and apparently frightened her into giving him an apology. For what I'm unsure of though," he continued. Ratchet's optics narrowed. It wasn't like Sunstreaker to actively seek out a human and frighten them. What could the girl possibly have done within the short time she had been with them to anger the volatile mech?

"Does anyone know what she was supposed to apologize for?" Ratchet asked. He thought he vaguely remembered the incident that had led to her 'meeting' Sunstreaker inadvertently but he wasn't sure what exactly had occurred. Optimus looked weary and slightly amused suddenly.

"Apparently his vanity reminded her of a Deception medic, Knock Out. Sunstreaker happened to overhear her remark to Major Lennox and the rest, as the humans say, is history," he finished. Ratchet couldn't help the slight snort of laughter that escaped him. He had heard stories about that vain 'Con. To say that he could have been Sunstreaker's other brother was an understatement. Sometimes he wondered about the mysteries of twins.

"Well now that part of it is explained I agree. Sunstreaker is not to come anywhere near the girl. Though there will be times it will be unavoidable," Ratchet said. Optimus nodded slightly.

"Those times Brianna will be closely guarded and should she show any signs of distress she will be taken out of the room," the Autobot leader replied. Ratchet nodded in approval.

"I don't want her attempting to talk too much until her vocal cords have had a chance to recover," he said.

"I understand. Thank you Ratchet for being so quick. I can only hope that with time she will feel comfortable enough to share her experiences with us. She should not have to suffer so much alone," he said. He paused at Ratchet's next words.

"Optimus…it is entirely possible that she's blocked out the experiences. She didn't recall the reason why she was in med bay," he said quietly. Optimus remained thoughtful before speaking.

"Then we will have to watch for anything that might trigger such a response. Was there anything else you noticed?" he asked. Ratchet remained silent and Optimus knew that there was more Ratchet had to say.

"There has been…physical changes within the girl. The piece of the Allspark has moved within her," he said. Optimus gazed at him silently, waiting for him to continue.

"What does that mean?" he finally asked.

"I don't know Optimus. All I know is that the muscles in her legs have appeared to harden; the veins that carry her blood to them have narrowed. She will be having some problems walking soon," he said quietly. Optimus cursed quietly.

"Thank you Ratchet I will alert Elita," he said. Ratchet nodded.

"I want to see her at least every other day Optimus. And if she suffers any more spells or has any unusual pains I want to see her immediately," he instructed. Optimus nodded and turned, exiting the room to find his mate and the girl. Ratchet watched him go before turning to the results of her latest scans and shaking his head. His muttered words rang out in the empty room.

"What were those pit-spawned 'Cons hoping to accomplish?"

Sunstreaker growled as he paced the brig cell, his processor turning wildly. A few feet down Jazz was situated in his own cell, though he was reclining lazily on the berth. He didn't mind his sentence. It was worth it to kick Sunstreaker's aft all over the rec room.

"I would ask if you had learned your lesson but I know better," Prowl's voice was dry as he stood before the cell holding the small saboteur. Jazz smirked as he rolled to his feet.

"Well if ya knew better than why'd ya ask Prowler?" he laughed. Prowl frowned.

"Prowl," he corrected, though he knew it would do no good. Jazz always did as he pleased and no amount of scolding or correcting could change him. It was something that the SIC had reluctantly learned to deal with and work around. Jazz simply laughed.

"Hey! I was the one attacked! Fragger scratched my paint job!" Sunstreaker snarled. Prowl shot the frontliner a glare and Sunstreaker backed off, though the glare he shot Jazz was as deadly as any he had shot a 'Con.

"Ah'd do it again too glitch! Ya scared tha femme nearly ta death!" Jazz growled back. Prowl quickly held up his hands to forestall any further arguments.

"Jazz, both you and Sunstreaker will spend the next several hours here. I will release you before the evening is out. Sunstreaker, you are not to come anywhere near the human femme. Is that understood?" Prowl's voice was stern and Sunstreaker scowled.

"As if I would willingly go near some squishy organic! I got my apology as far as I'm concerned she doesn't exist." With those words Sunstreaker turned his back to the SIC and Prowl glared at him momentarily before turning to Jazz.

"Optimus wishes to speak with you after you serve your punishment Jazz," he said coolly. Jazz nodded and returned to recline back on the berth. Prowl eyed the two mechs a moment longer before turning and leaving the area. Somehow he just knew that this wasn't going to be the end of things between those two.

Sideswipe couldn't help it; he was curious. He was the twin that was far more tolerant of the humans, the twin that was more easy going. Granted he did agree with Sunny when it came to humans touching him. He just wasn't quite as rude in his requests.

So to see his twin hauled off along with Jazz to the brig over one tiny human female, who from what he had overheard had been rushed to med bay, left him more than a little curious. Sunny wasn't the type to go out of his way to terrorize a human. All it usually took was one glare and a snarl and the offending human could be seen fleeing down the hall as if Megatron was hot on their heels.

_'What were the femme's exact words? I know Sunny said it had something to do with being compared to a 'Con,'_ Sideswipe thought as he skated down the hallway, easily avoiding the humans that seemed to wander aimlessly out from nowhere and into his path. He paused outside of med bay, hearing the sound of Optimus and Ratchet talking. Unashamedly, he leaned against a wall and tuned into the conversation. Perhaps he would learn a little more about the incident that had incited Sunny's temper and Jazz's own violent defense of the human.

The more he heard the more his curiosity grew. So the femme was a human slave runaway. That would explain her remark about his twin and the Decepticon medic. Sideswipe snickered slightly. Sunny didn't know it but Sideswipe had often thought the same thing.

_'Flashbacks…to torture she suffered?'_ Sideswipe thought with an uncharacteristic anger. No female, whether they were Cybertronian or human, deserved to go through whatever the 'Cons put the young human through. He quickly pushed aside the thought as he realized that Optimus was about to leave. Before he could quickly speed away the last remnants of the conversation drifted out to him.

His optics widened as the medics words, and the implications, burned their way into his processor. He was barely able to duck out of sight before Optimus exited the med bay and moved down the hall in search of his mate and the girl. Sideswipe frowned as he heard Ratchet's last words.

"What were those pit-spawned 'Cons hoping to accomplish?"


	9. Schemes and fights

**Ok so hopefully the next update won't be too long. The surgery shouldn't be that bad so hopefully the recovery time will be minimal and allow me to get another chapter written fairly quickly.**

"SLAG IT!" Starscream's growled curse rang out through the countryside as he brought a clenched fist down on a house, smashing it to pieces. Skywarp and Thundercracker took a discreet and careful step back. They had to admit that their leader was justified in his anger. They had searched countless human cities and had turned up no traces of the human. It was as if she simply disappeared into thin air.

"Commander Starscream perhaps we should consider the possibility that maybe she was offlined during the escape," Skywarp said hesitantly. He cringed as the Seeker turned towards him angrily then paused, a calculating look creeping into his optics.

"Yes perhaps she did…" he mused. Skywarp glanced uneasily at his Trine mate. Somehow he wasn't sure if his words had been the wisest thing to say. In the shadows, Barricade snorted softly. He knew exactly what the coward was thinking. But hey if it worked it would factor in quite nicely with his own plans.

"I believe I saw a human female body underneath some of the debris in the town. She appears to be of the same height and build as the other femme. All we need to do is ensure that her body is burned beyond recognition and bring it to Lord Megatron. Perhaps it will cure him of his obsession with that girl and he will be ready to choose another in her place," Starscream said.

_'Another of my choosing…and who is loyal to me,'_ he thought with a slight smirk. The two mechs said nothing, simply turning to retrieve the body. Whatever else was going through Starscream's processor they wanted no part of it.

"Umm…where are we going Elita?" Brie asked as they bypassed her room and made their way down the hallway. She frowned as the femme didn't answer her. A quick glance up showed that her face was grim and Brie shuddered. She sincerely hoped that she wasn't the cause of the look on her face.

Brie's eyes widened as she was taken into Optimus and Elita's personal quarters. She glanced around in awe. She had never seen anything like it. She was so busy taking in her surroundings that she never even noticed when Elita set her down carefully on the Autobot sized couch and knelt before her.

"I'm sorry Brianna," those soft words finally caught the girl's attention and she turned to focus on Elita. She was surprised at the guilty sorrowful look in her optics.

"For what?" she asked curiously. The femme had done nothing wrong to her. So why was she apologizing to her?

"For not being there to protect you," she replied sadly. Brie hesitated before reaching out and tentatively touching her face. The femme smiled slightly but made no sudden moves. It was enough that the girl was reaching out to her. The last thing she wanted to do was frighten her again.

"Elita it's not your fault. Jazz and Bumblebee was there. Not to mention the others…though I don't know who they are. They kept me safe I just…I don't know what happened," she admitted quietly. Elita looked surprised then turned slightly as the door opened and Optimus stepped into the room. She had a sense that they were communicating silently before Elita turned back to her.

"Jazz is one of our best mechs," she said with a smile. Brie nodded in recognition.

"He was one name that was discussed both by 'Cons and among the slaves. He was one Megatron wished to coerce over to their side," she said quietly. Optimus chuckled as he knelt beside Elita.

"The only way Jazz would join the Decepticons would be to get close enough to offline Megatron," he said. Brie nodded as a slight smile crossed her face.

"He is a mech of honor," she said. Optimus and Elita exchanged sly smiles.

"Brianna, we do not wish for you to feel unsafe here. If you like whenever myself or Elita are unavailable I'm sure Jazz would be up to keeping you company," Optimus said. Brie eyed him suspiciously.

"Sounds to me like he's going to be a babysitter," she said slowly. Elita laughed and even Optimus let out a chuckle.

"Trust me Brie, Jazz is anything but a babysitter," Elita said.

"We just figured since you seem to get along so well with him you would enjoy spending time with him. Were we wrong?" Optimus asked. Brie looked startled then quickly shook her head.

"Oh no I do enjoy spending time with him! I just don't want to take him away from his other duties. I know you need to go make strikes against the Decepticons," she said rapidly. Optimus raised a hand slightly.

"Easy Brianna, you wouldn't be taking him away from his duties. He would just serve to keep you company and introduce you to some of the others during time between strikes," he explained. Brie relaxed back against the large comfy cushions in relief. The last thing she wanted was to be a burden.

"If you're sure…" her voice trailed off and Elita nodded as she smiled and reached out to gently pat Brie on the head as she replied.

"Don't worry I have a feeling Jazz will have no problem with it. Now…there is something else we'd like to discuss…"

Later that evening Sunstreaker stalked down the hallway to the quarters he shared with his twin, making the minimal effort to avoid stepping on the humans that scattered like ants to get out of his path. Prowl had released Jazz and himself after several hours, citing the need for Jazz to help him with something. Sunstreaker snorted softly. He just bet that Prowl 'needed' the smaller mech all right.

He growled at one particularly slow moving male and was pleased by the small 'eep' and sudden paling of said male's face as he turned and rushed down the opposite direction. He palmed the door open and stormed inside, the door closing behind him with a soft whooshing sound. He frowned slightly then shrugged. Sideswipe wasn't here, which at the moment was a good thing. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his twin's antics.

He entered the sleeping quarters and moved towards his berth. He sank down onto it and stared up at the ceiling, still seething. Not only had he, he reluctantly admitted, had his aft kicked he had had it kicked by Jazz! Sure they had sparred and he knew how good the mech was. He had never been on the receiving end of one of Jazz's rare loss of temper and he found that he honestly didn't want to be again. He may be small but the mech had a stealth and power that couldn't be denied. It was what made him such an effective and deadly saboteur.

_'All because of one slagging pitiful organic!'_ he thought as a growl rumbled in his chest. The femme had insulted him, she owed him an apology. It was of no concern to him that she glitched afterwards…was it? He shoved that unfamiliar question away. She was nothing but a simple human. Now that he had his apology he could be quite happy never to set optics on her again.

"Hey Sunny, you in here?" the sound of Sideswipe's voice was a welcome distraction even if he used that hated nickname.

"Don't call me that! Where else would I be?" he shot back. He watched coolly as his twin skated into the room and his optics narrowed as he felt something ripple across their bond. Sideswipe had learned something that was obviously troubling him.

"What's wrong with you?" he snapped as he sat up. Sideswipe said nothing for a moment, avoiding the golden mech's optics before venting softly.

"Why were you so hostile to the human?" he asked suddenly. Sunstreaker was thrown for a moment by the question. THAT was what was bothering his brother? One tiny insignificant little human?

"The squishy insulted me. I merely demanded the apology that she owed me," he said coldly. Sideswipe eyed him cautiously. He could feel Sunstreaker's lingering anger and knew he had to approach him cautiously. The last thing he wanted was to instigate a fight and end up with both of them in the brig.

"She apologized yet you still felt the need to frighten her further, not to mention insult her," he said quietly. Sunstreaker's optics narrowed as his temper slipped a fraction.

"She needed to be put in her place. Runaway slave or not she will learn respect," he snapped back. This time it was Sideswipe who glared at his twin.

"Sunny didn't you even stop to think about what exactly the 'Cons might have done to her?" he growled. Sunstreaker stood, fists clenching.

"No and quite frankly I don't care!" he snarled, ignoring the tiny part of him that mocked his words. Something inside of him felt guilty for frightening the human girl, the feeling only serving to fuel his anger. Since when did he give a frag about a human's feelings?

"You know Sunny I knew you were a cold hearted glitch but I never thought I'd see you actually terrorize an innocent femme! It makes you no better than a 'Con!" Sideswipe hissed. In a movement that was little more than a blur Sunstreaker launched himself at his twin, taking the silver mech off his feet and sending him crashing to the ground. The two mechs rolled as they traded punches, ignoring the shouts from outside and the sounds of the door opening and mechs rushing in to separate them. They continued to lunge at each other even as Ironhide forcefully grabbed Sunstreaker and took him to the ground while Inferno did the same to Sideswipe.

"What in the PIT is going on in here?" Prowl's voice was a low cold growl as he glared from one twin to the other. The twins for the most part ignored the SIC, keeping their optics locked on each other as they traded barbs over the bond they shared. Prowl quickly put a stop to that by stepping firmly in the middle of them, turning the full force of his anger on Sideswipe. He was always the more logical twin, even when angered. He should be able to get some answers out of him.

"Sideswipe, what happened?" he said forcefully, catching the silver frontliner's attention. There was a moment of silence and Prowl vented as he finally spoke.

"Sunny and I got into an argument. You know how we get," he replied sullenly. Sunstreaker growled.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" he hissed. Sideswipe merely rolled his optics at his words.

"Sunstreaker, care to share?" Prowl asked as he turned to the other mech. Sunstreaker merely sneered then yelped as Ironhide tightened his grip on his arms.

"Slag it watch the paint!" he snapped. Prowl vented harshly.

"I say we just take them to the brig and be done with it. It's obvious neither of them is going to talk," Inferno said. Prowl nodded in agreement and watched as the twins were yanked to their feet and marched out of their quarters. Prowl shook his head as he commed Optimus.

_::Optimus, we have a problem.::_


	10. Decisions

**Ok so my recovery is going slow but steady. I had the surgery Monday, was out of the hospital by Tuesday and I'm now at least able to sit up for a bit at the computer. Here's to hoping the rest of my recovery goes as smoothly! Oh, check my profile for a link to my Livejournal. I'm going to be posting this fic as well as several others there as well. The chapters here will be family friendly and compliant with the site's guidelines. The chapters on Livejournal will be more detailed and more in keeping with my usual style of writing.**

Later on that evening Brie sat in her room, staring at the wall pensively. Elita had asked if she wanted a room closer to them, for protection, and had assured her that she had plenty of time to think it over. They understood her need for privacy and would honor her request no matter what she decided. She sighed softly. Why did making decisions have to be so difficult?

_'Because for two years I haven't had to. I've done as told,'_ she thought to herself. She frowned slightly. She could only recall bits and pieces of her two years. She hadn't realized just how spotty her memory was until she had woken up in the med bay with no recollection of how she had gotten there or why. Perhaps it was her mind's way of protecting itself. She had a feeling that some memories she just wanted to never remember.

_'Damn maybe I should go see Ratchet,'_ she thought as she rubbed absently at her right leg. It had been hurting her off and on for the last couple of hours and she had noticed a worrying tingling as well. She slid from the bed and stood and her unease grew as she felt the stiffness. It was especially prevalent in her right leg and she quickly sat back down as she felt it tremble slightly. She had a feeling she didn't want to know what was going on with her legs at the moment any more than she wanted to recover some of her hidden memories.

A soft knock at her door distracted her from her thoughts and she had never been so grateful for the distraction. She stood again, grimacing at the pain that shot through her leg momentarily, before making her way to the door. She noticed that she had a slight limp and wondered how she could disguise that. She didn't want Elita and Optimus worrying about her any more than necessary.

She opened the door and smiled slightly as she saw Sam and Mikaela standing there. Her smile faded at the uneasy expression on their faces. She couldn't help the slithering of fear she felt. Had she again done something wrong?

"What's wrong?" she asked anxiously. Sam and Mikaela stared at her for a moment before shaking their heads slightly, as if to clear their thoughts.

"Optimus just asked us to tell you that he and a few of the others are going out on a mission. You don't have to worry about Sunstreaker they're making sure he goes along," Mikaela said. Just the mention of the golden mech's name sent a shudder through Brie and the couple exchanged looks. It was more than obvious that the incident had left a mark on the girl's already scarred psyche.

"O-Ok. Who's going to stay here?" she asked. Mikaela smiled.

"Don't worry you'll be safe. It's mostly going to be a few of the 'Bots you haven't left yet," Mikaela said. Brie didn't look convinced.

"I promise we won't let anything happen to you. Will also asked us to get your clothing size. He figured that they might pick you up a few things while they're out," Sam said. Brie's face brightened momentarily as she turned to retrieve a set of her clothing. As she did so Sam and Mikaela noticed that she had a limp and made a note to speak to Ratchet about it. Brie returned with her clothing, blushing at the ragged state of them, and handed them to Mikaela.

"These are pretty close. A little loose but that should help," she said. She shifted her weight slightly and while the couple noticed, they said nothing about it. They sensed that it was something she was trying to ignore.

"You up to heading to the rec room for a bite to eat?" Sam asked. Brie shook her head slightly.

"Actually I'm more tired than anything at the moment," she replied. While it was partly true it wasn't the reason she didn't want to go. She simply did not want anyone to see her limp or run the remote risk of running into Sunstreaker again. Mikaela nodded.

"All right Brie get some rest. We'll check on you later," she said softly. Brie watched the pair turn and make their way down the hall before closing and leaning against her door heavily. After a moment she made her way to the bed, her limp growing more pronounced with each step. She fell into her bed, biting back the cry of pain as she did so. She managed to shift into a comfortable position and tug the covers up over her. She forced her mind to go blank as sleep crept up to claim her. She just didn't want to think about anything at the moment.

"Barricade! Any news from Starscream?" Megatron's growled question carried across the room as the mech stepped inside. He shook his head as he approached, kneeling before his leader briefly before rising.

"No Lord Megatron. Skywarp and Thundercracker have yet to check in as well," he replied. Megatron snarled as his clawed hand clenched into a fist. What in the pit could be taking the glitch so long?

"My apologies for being out of contact Lord Megatron. It took time but…we have found the girl," Starscream's voice was appropriately solemn as he entered the room, carrying something covered in a sheet in his claws. Barricade had to turn away to hide a smirk as the SIC passed him by. He caught sight of Soundwave watching the Seeker and he realized that he knew that the body Starscream held was not the body of the human female.

Megatron merely stared at his SIC, his optics narrowing slightly. He could almost see the smugness radiating from the mech, though he tried to disguise it underneath a false concern. He moved to stand before his leader and extended his hand towards him. Megatron took it from him and peeled back the sheet. The charred disfigured remains of a female of the same size and build as Brie met his optics. He stared at it for a moment before raising his optics to Starscream, who was watching him with an intensity that clinched for the Decepticon leader the suspicions that the body was not the missing human female.

"Where did you find her?" he asked coolly, keeping the body within his claws. Starscream met his optics, relieved and feeling a bit smug that he had managed to pull the wool over Megatron's optics.

"In a town not very far away. It appears as if she had taken shelter in a damaged building and when she attempted to warm herself she set it on fire. As you can see the damage was…extensive," he replied. Megatron leaned back, drumming the claws on his other hand on the arm of the chair he sat in.

"So if the damage was extensive, how can you be certain this is the same female?" he growled. Starscream's smile faltered slightly. He hadn't thought about how to answer that particular question.

"Well…I…she was found within range and appears to be similar in looks…" his voice trailed off at the dark glare he was receiving and he cringed. Why had he ever thought such a stupid idea would work in the first place? Well if worse came to worse he could always blame it on Skywarp. He always was a strange one.

"Did you really think that you could fool me Starscream?" he snarled as he rose from his chair. He allowed the body to drop to the floor, kicking it carelessly and sending it flying. Acknowledging the unspoken command, Barricade scooped it up and carried it from the room to await the burning with the rest of the bodies. As he heard the sound of Megatron showing Starscream just how displeased he was he chuckled.

"Fool will never learn," was all he said as he strolled down the hallway, ignoring the puzzled and wary glances he was receiving from the humans. He stepped outside and tossed the body carelessly on top of the others before turning to head for his quarters. It was time to go. He knew that the Autobots were aware of the scouting party that had been sent out and were on their way to engage them.

"The disruptor is ready," Frenzy hissed. Barricade smirked and nodded and watched as Frenzy deftly fixed it onto him. It was tiny, discreet and Barricade knew that it would work. Frenzy had worked with him for so long that he knew exactly what the small mech was capable of. It wouldn't be long before Soundwave realized that he had lost track of him and report to Megatron.

He transformed into alt mode and, after Frenzy had slid inside, crept out of the base. He made sure that the disruptor was on. It would serve to not only blind Soundwave to his movements but make him untraceable even to Laserbeak or Ravage. It was only after he was several miles away that he increased his speed. He could only hope that the two Autobot spies would convince Prime to grant him sanctuary. If not…he was so slagged.

Brie heard the sounds of the strike team leaving the base and she turned onto her side. She had been awake for a while now, the feeling of her stomach rumbling reminding her that she hadn't eaten since early in the morning and she threw the covers off and slid from the bed hesitantly. She was relieved that her legs seemed to be feeling normal and she walked over to the door and opened it. She jumped slightly as she nearly ran into Mikaela, who had her hand poised in a knocking position.

"Oh jeez Brie!" she exclaimed as she jumped back slightly. Brie couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her and the girl glared at her playfully, though she was pleased by the sound. Brie needed to laugh more often. She looked so much younger and carefree when she did.

"Sorry Mikaela I was just getting ready to head to the rec room," Brie said as she stepped out the door. Mikaela smiled.

"What a coincidence I was just coming to get you," she replied. Brie smiled slightly and Mikaela was disappointed. She had been hoping to draw another laugh from the girl.

The walk was spent in a pleasant silence, neither girl feeling the need to speak. Brie had never had a close female friend so the experience was new and slightly uncomfortable. She didn't really know how to interact with Mikaela. She would just follow her lead and hope that she didn't make too many mistakes.

"Hey Mikaela I see you managed to wake her!" Sam called out from a table. Mikaela extended a finger and had to hide her smile as Brie giggled again. The sound was a nice change from the cautious and submissive air she usually carried.

"Stifle it Sam! Brie, are you feeling ok with being in here?" she asked, concerned about the way the girl was suddenly gazing around stealthily at everyone in the room. Brie nodded hesitantly before turning towards Mikaela.

"The two mechs over there, the red and green one. They're the other set of twins right?" she asked. Mikaela nodded.

"That's Skids and Mudflap. They…you might want to wait to meet them until one of the other 'Bots are around. They tend to get into fights frequently." No sooner had she finished her statement than the sound of clanging and cursing could be heard. Brie stared as the two began to toss each other around, eventually being 'escorted' out of the room by a rather large green mech. Mikaela sensed her question.

"That's Bulkhead. He was one of the ones that offered to stay behind. He's one hell of a fighter," she said. Hearing his name, he turned and waved to the two girls. He remained a respectful distance, knowing that Brie was still more than a little leery of meeting new mechs without someone nearby. He wanted to meet her but he was willing to wait until Jazz or one of the others brought her to him. He was pleased when she waved back hesitantly before quickly turning away, a warm unfamiliar feeling washing through her as she followed Mikaela. Perhaps things were going to be ok after all.


	11. Defection and Sideswipe's Introduction

**Just a quick note: updates might be slower due to the fact that I'm currently working on a new novel and attempting to unblock myself on my second book in a series I'm writing at the same time. I do still plan to continue just might be a bit slower. Enjoy!**

The battle raged on, the Decepticon scouts too surprised by the unexpected attack to really formulate a plan. All they could do was defend themselves, though several never stood a chance as they were struck down quickly and ruthlessly by a certain pair of twins. Optimus was engaged in combat with another Decepticon, who was clearly outclassed but determined to go down fighting. He had managed to inflict damage on the Autobot leader, though it was nothing major.

Will and the rest of the humans were camouflaged in strategic positions, helping out the Autobots as they concentrated their attacks on the legs, long enough to distract the 'Cons and annoy them. Sunstreaker of course growled that he needed no help and proceeded to show them just that. Will rolled his eyes but dutifully directed the attacks away from the mechs that the golden frontliner engaged and onto others.

Jazz was in his element, clearly enjoying himself as he stalked and pounced on any unsuspecting 'Con that crossed his path. Mirage employed the same tactic, though his methods were different. Together the two mechs made as formidable a team as Sunstreaker and Sideswipe and soon the few 'Cons that remained had beaten a hasty retreat.

"All right Autobots let's roll out," Optimus called as he triggered his transformation sequence. The others soon followed, though Mirage did so more slowly.

_**::What's eatin' ya Raj?::**_ Jazz's words floated through a private com link and the red spy vented softly.

_**::Can't you feel it Jazz? Someone is watching us,::**_ he replied. Jazz opened his sensors and froze as the distinctive ping of a Decepticon signature echoed back.

"Jazz you and Mirage coming?" Epps called out as he began to climb into Ironhide.

"We'll be behind ya. Go get tha supplies ya need. If we need backup we'll call," Jazz called back. The soldier hesitated a moment longer before shrugging and climbing in. The two Autobots watched as the others departed and waited. No sooner had the small convoy had disappeared Barricade stepped out of the woods.

"Ya do like ta live dangerously don't ya?" Jazz laughed. Barricade merely smirked and crossed his arms over his chest.

"So am I going to get my aft shot off by your trigger happy weapons specialist if I show up?" he asked. Mirage and Jazz exchanged hesitant looks.

"Well…" Mirage's voice trailed off and Barricade vented heavily.

"I guess I'll be taking my chances then," he said dryly. Jazz shook his head quickly.

"Ah can contact Optimus, have him come back," the saboteur said. Barricade waited as Jazz's optics dimmed momentarily before brightening again.

"He's on his way," he said. Silence fell between the three mechs as they waited. A short time later the rumble of Optimus' engine could be heard growing closer and Barricade couldn't help but tense as it did so. The Autobot leader rolled into the clearing and transformed, his optics coming to rest on the 'Con standing as if he wanted nothing more than to flee the scene. He glanced from the 'Con to Jazz and Mirage, waiting for an explanation.

"Cade here was responsible for Brie's escape. He wants ta defect," Jazz explained. Optimus turned his full attention to Barricade, who nodded slightly.

"Why?" Optimus asked. He was understandably wary. While he would welcome any mech willing to change it didn't mean he was going to be less cautious about it. Especially since Barricade was one of Megatron's top mechs. The former 'Con glanced away, gathering up his thoughts. Optimus waited silently, the patience that he was so renowned for firmly in place. Jazz and Mirage exchanged looks. That was a question that Barricade had deftly avoided answering in the past.

"The girl is special…more special than any of you realize," he began. Optimus opened his mouth to say something but closed it again as the mech raised a hand. He would tell them, but he would do so as he felt comfortable doing.

"I overheard Scalpel and Knock Out talking one day. She is the first…the only…successful survivor of that little demented medic's experiments. Oh there were other survivors, but they didn't come out of them the same as when they went in. Not only did she survive, she was everything that that pit-spawned glitch had dreamed of. Even Megatron didn't realize just how well Scalpel's experiments went on her. All he knew was what he was told: that she would be able to survive the transformation and give him the heirs that he wanted," he explained as a snarl etched itself on his face. The three mechs were quiet, their own faces giving away the fact that they were just as angry about the images they were seeing as Barricade was.

"So why risk your existence to help her escape? Forgive me for saying so but you are not one to really concern yourself with the welfare of humans," Optimus pointed out. Barricade smirked and dipped his head in acknowledgement of the Autobot leader's words. When he answered though, his voice was deadly calm and serious.

"I feel a connection to her. Not one that wants me to claim her for a mate! But an almost…brotherly one...or a guardian one," he explained. Optimus nodded in understanding. Bumblebee had formed a bond similar to the one Barricade was explaining from the moment he had met Sam and Mikaela. It was one similar to the one that Ironhide had for Will Lennox. There was no explaining it. Something about certain humans just seemed to trigger protective protocols in certain mechs.

"Are you sure you wish to renounce your Decepticon ties? You know we will have to disable your weapons until we are certain we can trust you," Optimus warned. Barricade nodded, as if expecting nothing else.

"Just promise me one thing," he asked. Optimus waited and Jazz and Mirage burst out laughing at his words.

"You won't let that trigger happy weapons specialist shoot a new hole in my aft."

Brie heard the sound of the strike team returning and smiled as she stepped out of the rec room to look for Jazz. Her smile dropped off her face and she froze in horror as she spotted Sunstreaker standing in the hallway, scowling as he listened to Ironhide lecture him on something. She quickly turned and moved to head down the opposite direction, intent on avoided the golden mech at all costs. At this point in time she would willingly seek out Ratchet for a checkup!

So intent on ducking out of sight of the volatile frontliner she failed to see the silver mech that was standing behind her. She squeaked as she ran into a large wheeled foot, stumbling back and nearly falling on her ass. Only the quick reflexes of said mech saved her as he leaned down and placed a hand behind her to steady her.

"Easy femme I know I'm attractive but there's no need to fall at my feet," he chuckled. Brie's eyes widened as she tipped her head back to gaze at him, finding him watching her with a small easy going smirk on his face.

"W-Who are you?" she asked, her nerves jumping and she found herself wishing that Jazz was around to save her. The mech frowned for a moment before his optics brightened.

"That's right you've met my afthole brother but not me! I'm Sideswipe, the better looking and friendlier mech," he said. Brie eyed him cautiously. So this was the other half of the infamous twins. She had to admit that so far he did seem a bit friendlier than Sunstreaker. She recalled Lennox telling her that. She relaxed slightly, giving him a slight shy smile. Sideswipe seemed pleased as he removed his hand after making sure she was steady on her feet.

"So, where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asked. Brie shivered involuntarily as she chanced a glance backwards. Luckily Sunstreaker had his back to her and Sideswipe immediately knew what, or rather who, she was looking at.

"A-Actually I was on my way to see Ratchet for my checkup," she said as she moved to slip around him. She let out a small squeak as she was suddenly scooped up into a large hand and she quickly grabbed onto a finger as they began to skate down the hallway towards the med bay.

"You are the first person I've met, human or mech, that willingly goes into the Hatchet's lair," he chuckled. He quickly ducked as a wrench came sailing out of the room to bounce off the wall, leaving Brie staring wide eyed at it. Apparently the comments about the medic's tendency to throw wrenches were true. She had never seen it, given how short a time she had been there, but now she had. It was certainly an eye opener and she made a note to try and avoid getting on the mech's bad side. She would stick to watching the other mechs do that.

"Sideswipe I swear if you don't stop calling me that I'm going to weld you to a berth and reformat you into a femme!" Ratchet growled as he stepped into the doorway. He stared at the tiny human in the mech's hand in surprise before stepping aside and motioning to the nearby berth.

"Thank you for bringing her Sideswipe. Please set her down there and get the hell out of my med bay!" he growled. Sideswipe smirked but did as instructed, giving Brie one last mischievous smile before skating towards the doorway. He paused and waited until Ratchet was halfway across the room before responding.

"See ya later Hatchet!" he cackled. Brie couldn't help the involuntary giggle that escaped her as the medic whirled around and hurled another wrench at the fleeing mech, several curses and threats filling the air. He glared at the small human on the berth then his expression softened as he realized that she was actually showing an emotion other than fear. It was a shame that it had to be that glitch that caused it. He shook his head and went to retrieve his tools, his spark warming at the sound of the girl's continued giggles. It was good to hear her laugh. It meant that there was a chance to help bring the femme out of her shell and blossom into the kind and cheerful human that he could sense deep within her.

Soundwave was puzzled. For a mech that was never supposed to feel or show emotion this wasn't a good thing. He simply couldn't comprehend how he had lost track of Barricade. There was no way the scout should have been able to escape under the radar, not with the highly sophisticated tracking device he had implanted one night while the mech was in recharge.

He continued to stare at the screen, his processor working relentlessly as he searched in vain for the small blip that was Barricade on the screen. Upon attaining the same results a rare curse escaped his vocal processor as he turned away. He vented heavily as he started towards the throne room where Megatron was currently occupying. He knew that the Decepticon leader was not going to be very happy. He paused then sent out a com to Starscream, who answered reluctantly. The SIC agreed to meet him in the throne room and a smirk etched itself on Soundwave's lips behind his visor. If he was going to be the bearer of bad news he was going to make sure that he had Megatron's personal punching bag with him.


	12. Problems At Base

**Sorry about the wait! My novel has taken up a lot more of my time lately. I'm on the fence as to what to do given the fact that I'm working on getting published. Updates will be very slow and for that I apologize. Keep an eye on my profile as I'll put something there if I plan on discontinuing my fics or not. Thanks to all my reviewers, signed and anonymous. It's you guys that's kept me going so far.**

Brie watched Ratchet anxiously as he compared the most recent scans to the previous ones. She could see by the way he was standing and the muttering under his breath that whatever he was seeing wasn't good. She rubbed absently at her right leg, which was beginning to ache again, before clearing her throat quietly.

"Ratchet?" she saw the medic flinch slightly and whirl around, almost as if he had forgotten she was there. His optics immediately zoomed in on her unconscious movements and he set the scans aside to walk over to her. Kneeling down, he touched the tip of a large finger very lightly against where she was rubbing and watched as she winced and flinched underneath his touch.

"How long has your leg been hurting?" he asked his voice stern. Brie blinked at him for a moment before sighed softly.

"It just started earlier, while you were out on your mission. That's why I had Sideswipe bring me here," she replied. Ratchet nodded, as if her words confirmed something, and then straightened up.

"Brie, the muscles in your legs are beginning to harden and the blood vessels are constricting that's what's causing your pain," he said solemnly. The young girl's eyes widened as her face paled.

"W-What does that mean?" she whispered as she wrapped her arms around herself. Ratchet hesitated, not wanting to scare her any more. He vented softly, wishing that Optimus was back. This was something he and Elita needed to hear. Given that Elita was temporarily meeting with Lennox and his team in Optimus' place it would just have to wait.

"It'll be ok youngling. I'll explain everything when Optimus returns," he said softly. Brie nodded as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. So this was what Scalpel and Knock Out had meant when they discussed the 'success' of their experiments. She was slowly becoming a Cybertronian. She shivered, murmuring a soft thank you as Ratchet retrieved a soft blanket and wrapped it around her. She stared off into space as Ratchet moved to study the scans further. No wonder Megatron had made her his favorite; she was going to be used to produce heirs for him!

The trip back to base was quiet, with Optimus leading the way and Barricade in the middle. Jazz was behind him and Mirage brought up the rear. Optimus had already commed Prowl, asking him to have Bulkhead and Wheeljack ready to grab and pin Ironhide. A com to Ratchet had netted him a brusque reply to contact First Aid, as he was just as capable of sedating the weapons specialist should he need to as he was. Elita had, reluctantly, agreed to help Arcee hold back Chromia if the need arose. To say that she was unhappy with him bringing back a known Decepticon spy was an understatement. Bumblebee would have Sam, Mikaela and Brie tucked away safely, though the scout had reported seeing Sideswipe taking the girl to the med bay. So long as she remained there she would be safe; at least until they were able to disarm Barricade and debrief him. After that they would take him to Brie and see how she reacted to him.

_**::Are you sure I'm not going to get my aft shot off?::**_ Barricade grumbled as they drew closer to the base. Jazz revved his engine in a manner that suggested he was laughing at the former 'Con while Mirage merely flashed his lights briefly.

_**::Don't worry Barricade I have two of my mechs waiting to pin down Ironhide while one of my medics sedates him if need be,::**_ Optimus replied, with a hint of his own amusement leaking through the link. Barricade sank down on his tires slightly in an exasperated manner.

_**::Besides 'Cade, it's not 'Hide that ya need ta worry 'bout, it's Chromia,::**_ Jazz snickered. Barricade groaned. He had forgotten about her. She was as tough as her mate. He had seen her in battle…and had been damn careful to avoid her. Getting slagged by her could possibly be even worse than being slagged by Ironhide himself. Optimus came to a stop outside of the base, waiting until the others caught up before speaking.

_**::Barricade, remain here until I address everyone. Jazz, you stay with him while Mirage comes with me to vouch for him,::**_ Optimus said. Mirage pulled next to Optimus and Barricade watched as they drove into the base. Several minutes later bedlam erupted inside the base, several shouts and the sound of weapons being fired ringing out. Jazz laughed even as Barricade sank down on his axles with a feeling of doom. He was going to end up with a new hole and have to see the medic that was feared even among the Decepticon ranks, he could just feel it!

_**::Relax 'Cade Optimus won' let anythin' happen ta ya. He believes in giving any mech that wants ta change a chance,::**_ Jazz said suddenly as he sensed the mech's unease. Barricade snorted softly.

_**::Sounds like Prime has his hands full,::**_ he replied as the chaos inside grew louder. A sudden loud thump that sounded like a mech hitting the floor caught both the Autobot and former 'Con off guard. Everything fell silent and after another several minutes Optimus emerged from the building in his bipedal form. He looked a bit annoyed and Barricade couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped him. Optimus simply shot him a look that said he didn't see anything amusing about the situation but his voice remained cool and calm when he spoke.

"Ironhide and Chromia are…resting while they process things. Everyone else has agreed to stand down," he said. Jazz transformed, Barricade following a bit more slowly.

"What about those psycho twins? I've seen them in action. Much as I enjoy the show they put on going against 'Screamer and the other Seekers I have no desire to pit my skills against them," Barricade said dryly. Optimus pinched the bridge of his nose briefly. Neither Sideswipe nor Sunstreaker had been present during the little uproar so they were unaware of their newest guest. He would have to have Jazz and Mirage track them down with Prowl, Wheeljack, Bulkhead and Bumblebee along to help in case things turned violent; which given Sunstreaker's temper that was most likely to occur. He vented heavily. Who knew that having a 'Con decide to defect to their side would be such a nightmare?

"What do you MEAN you lost him?" Megatron's roar echoed down the hallway from the throne room and several of the occupants passing through, both human and mech alike, scattered in all directions. When Megatron yelled like that it usually meant heads were going to roll. They didn't want to be the ones to lose theirs just because they were too slow to get out of the way.

Inside the room, Soundwave stood motionless before his leader, Starscream cowering at his side. The SIC gave the communications such a look of hatred that the mech could have melted on the spot. Had he known that Soundwave was going to be giving their leader this kind of news he would have hauled aft out of the base!

"Location: unknown. Status: also unknown," Soundwave replied tonelessly. Though he could give more details he felt that at this moment it was best to stick to simple one word statements. No sense in provoking Megatron any more than he already was.

Megatron sat on his throne, the only motion being the slow tapping of his claws on the arm of the chair. Starscream watched him warily. Anyone knew that when he was this still bad things were likely to happen. Usually those bad things happened to him. He was fully prepared to take off should the need arise.

"Starscream," the sound of his name being growled made the Seeker cringe and he felt himself priming to transform and blast out of there at the speed of light at the first sign of motion.

"Y-Y-Yes Lord Megatron?" he managed to squeak out. He flinched as the mech's red optics, blazing with anger, came to rest upon him. Why had he chosen to remain the SIC again? Oh yeah so he could assume the leadership position when Megatron inevitably fell underneath the servos of the Prime.

"I suggest you take Thundercracker and Skywarp and go hunt for our traitor and the girl! This time don't come back unless you have news of either one!" Megatron snarled. Starscream bowed his head and rushed from the room, relieved to have escaped in one piece. Gesturing for the two startled Seekers to follow, he transformed and shot away from the base, scheming all the while. Megatron would fall and he would take his rightful place as the leader of the Decepticons…even if he had to hand him to the Autobots himself!

"Soundwave, keep tabs on Starscream. He is up to something and he's not as smart as Barricade. I assume you have a tracker on him that he doesn't know about?" the Decepticon leader growled. He couldn't blame Soundwave for Barricade's apparent defection; the mech was skilled. It was why he and his small partner Frenzy was one of his top scouts.

Starscream on the other hand…well he wasn't the brightest mech. Sooner or later he would screw up enough to push Megatron past the limits of his already low patience and would pay the ultimate price. Should he manage to find either the girl or Barricade…well Barricade would be made into an example of what happened should you try and double cross Megatron and the Decepticons. The girl he would have fun breaking. He smirked as he watched Soundwave leave the room to monitor his SIC's progress. Yes, he would indeed have fun teaching the soon to be Cybertronian femme how to be properly submissive to her mate.


	13. More Problems

Brie jumped as she listened to the chaos occurring down the hallway. Loud shouts, curses and weapons being fired made it more than obvious that something had gone horribly wrong. It couldn't be an Autobot or human death, given that outside of Jazz, Optimus and Mirage everyone and every bot had returned with only minor injuries. So what was it that was causing such a fuss among the 'Bots, particularly Ironhide?

"It's ok Brianna there's just a mild…disagreement going on. Optimus will get it straightened out," Ratchet said as he sought to soothe the obviously nervous young girl. He knew exactly what was going on and while he wasn't thrilled with the thought of having an ex 'Con around he could understand Optimus' decision. One less mech's death to have weighing down his spark was always a good thing. The knowledge that he could shed more light on the experiments Brie went through was another positive factor in Optimus' decision.

The feeling of the ground shaking as a large body hit the floor drew a startled squeak from Brie even as Ratchet cupped a hand around her to keep her from falling. She heard Ratchet curse quietly and had to fight the urge to do so herself. Such language would not be tolerated coming from her as she had quickly learned during her first week of captivity. She finally decided to distract the both of them from the chaos even as it began to die down with the inevitable progression of her 'condition'.

"The changes are beginning to show themselves aren't they?" Brie murmured as she tugged the blanket tighter around herself. Ratchet eyed her in mild surprise. So she did have some idea of what she was going through.

"It appears so Brianna. The changes seem to be going slowly at the moment though. How long have you known of this?" he asked curiously. If the medic could learn exactly how much she knew it would help him plot out an appropriate course of action in helping her.

"I heard S-Scalpel and Knock Out talking. They thought I was still unconscious," she whispered. Ratchet saw the way her knuckles turned white as she clutched the blanket closer to her and sensed the increase in her blood pressure. He decided to set aside this line of conversation for a later time. It wouldn't do for her to get upset and suffer another panic attack.

"I think things seem to be settling down," Ratchet said as he straightened up. Brie nodded, relaxing once again as silence fell over the base. That was when they heard Sunstreaker let out a violent cry and all hell broke loose again.

Barricade stepped inside the base, remaining tense and wary. He knew Jazz and Mirage, as well as Optimus would run interference but he still wasn't going to let his guard down. Given the hostility he saw in the silently watching Autobots' optics it was a good thing. One wrong move and they'd be on him like scraplets. Barricade shuddered slightly. He sure didn't miss those things.

His suspicions, and instincts, had been correct about not letting his guard down. Before he could even turn towards the sound of the battle cry he was tackled and sent crashing down to the ground. He let out a grunt and stilled as he felt the tip of a very sharp blade tickling at his throat. He remained still and glared at the three startled Autobots who were supposed to be 'protecting' him.

"So instead of a hole in my aft I get a sword in my neck?" he growled. He yelped as the sword pressed in slightly harder, nicking a line and drawing Energon.

"Quiet 'Con!" Sunstreaker hissed. He glanced up to Optimus, awaiting his order to kill the scum. Optimus vented wearily and pinched the bridge of his nose as Prowl, Bulkhead and Wheeljack quickly came into view, followed by Sideswipe and Bumblebee. Upon seeing his twin sprawled out upon the former 'Con a snarl etched itself on his lips as his own blades dropped down from his arms. Only the quick movement by Bulkhead prevented him from joining his twin in using the mech underneath him as a pincushion.

"Sunstreaker put your weapons away and get off of Barricade. He's defected from the Decepticon ranks," Optimus said firmly. Sunstreaker's optics widened in disbelief even as he kept his blade firmly in place at the downed mech's throat.

"Are you serious? He's a 'Con Prime! Once a 'Con always a 'Con!" the golden frontliner snarled. Optimus narrowed his optics even as Prowl moved forward with Jazz and Mirage.

"Sunstreaker release him immediately!" Prowl's voice was stern and for a moment the mech debated on whether to just kill the 'Con or not. In the end, after a deadly look from Jazz and Mirage, he retracted his blades and stood, pausing to deliver one good kick to the downed mech before turning to face Optimus stiffly.

"So are we in the habit of taking in strays Optimus? First that human femme and now him? How do we know that he's not here to bring her back while leading reinforcements to us?" he growled. Immediately Barricade rolled to his feet and Sunstreaker tensed, as did Sideswipe. Before Barricade could answer the mech's questions Jazz beat him to it.

"He's tha one that helped tha femme escape ya glitch! Why would he risk his aft ta do so just ta take her back?!" the saboteur growled. Sunstreaker glared at the smaller mech, who glared right back. Sideswipe in the meantime fell silent. Sunstreaker had valid questions, though he had to admit Jazz brought up a good point as well. Why had the 'Con risked his spark to save one tiny human femme? What was so special about her?

The three Seekers flew over the countryside, sensors scanning for any signs of the traitor or the human female that their leader was so obsessed with. Starscream had managed to steal a look at the girl's records and he could now understand why she was so special. She was the first true success; the key to ensuring that their race survived in a way outside of the failing Allspark. She represented a new hope and era for them and the SIC knew that whoever mated with her would hold the power over all Cybertronians, Decepticon and Autobot alike. Starscream was going to be that mech no matter who he had to take down in his now vitally important recovery mission.

::_**What do we do when we find Barricade?::**_ Thundercracker's question brought Starscream out of his daydreams of both Megatron and Optimus Prime bowing at his feet and he gave a soft dismissive sound.

_**::As far as I'm concerned I'd let the glitch go. The Autobots will terminate him upon sight; especially those psychopathic twins,::**_ he replied in a cool bored tone. Skywarp shuddered at the mere mentions of the twin warriors as Thundercracker did a quick almost involuntary scan for the pair. Those two struck fear into the sparks of all the 'Cons, though none more so than then Seekers. Their slagging 'Jet Judo' hurt like the pit!

_**::What about the girl?::**_ Skywarp asked. Starscream chuckled darkly.

_**::She is to be taken without any harm,::**_ he replied.

_**::Per Lord Megatron's orders?::**_ the other Seeker queried. Starscream's next words made both mechs wish that they weren't bound to the insane SIC through their trine bonds.

_**::No, per my orders. The human femme will be my mate and all Cybertronians will bow at my feet!::**_

The silence hung heavily in the air as Jazz's words continued to echo throughout the tense atmosphere. Optimus was now glaring at the volatile frontliner, who showed no signs of backing down. Sunstreaker, while grudgingly following orders, had never blatantly disrespected his Prime before. If Ironhide had been online he wouldn't be doing so now. The group of Autobots remained tense as they waited to see the outcome of this small confrontation.

"Sunstreaker, Barricade has willingly left the Decepticon cause and as such requested asylum in exchange for information that will help lead us to victory over Megatron. You will stand down and leave him be," Optimus said firmly. Sunstreaker's optics narrowed but it was Sideswipe who spoke up.

"Optimus we mean no disrespect. What is so special about this human that you're willing to risk all of us for to protect her?" the silver mech asked. He had overheard the conversation between the Autobot leader and Ratchet. He simply wanted further details. The girl seemed more than a little fearful of them, though given his twin's attitude he could understand her fear of him. He just wanted to know what exactly had happened to her during her time among the 'Cons. Barricade was the one to answer this time, his response cool and calm.

"She is the key to our survival. The Allspark is growing weak. That's why the little glitch Scalpel is so obsessed with finding a way to continue our race in another way. He has performed countless experiments on her and several other human femmes. She is simply the first, the only, one that can be truly considered a success," he said quietly. Optimus fell silent, considering the implications. Will Lennox cleared his throat as he stepped forward, waiting until the former 'Con turned his red optics towards him before speaking.

"So you're saying that the Decepticons are trying to…what? Turn human females into baby making machines so to speak?" he asked cautiously. Barricade stared down at the human male for a moment, processing his words and his meanings before finally nodding slightly.

"They are attempting to turn your females into Cybertronians, thus making it easier to mate with them. While others are showing signs of success, Brianna is the only one to show the true potential of the experiments. She is the one Megatron wants above all others. She is to be his queen," he growled softly. Prowl appeared to be on the verge of glitching with each new bit of information and only the occasional swat on the back of the helm by First Aid or Jolt kept him standing.

"So the little squishy is valuable to the 'Cons," Sunstreaker's voice was cool and thoughtful and Barricade growled as he shot the frontliner a deadly glare. As if sensing where his thoughts were going, Jazz joined in glaring at the golden mech.

"Whatever yer thinkin' Sunny jus' put it back outta yer processor," Jazz warning. Sunstreaker hissed at the small mech but fell silent, allowing all attention to turn back to Barricade, who was gazing at Optimus steadily.

"Prime, there is only one way to keep the femme safe from Megatron's clutches," he said solemnly. Optimus inclined his head slightly, indicating that he was listening. The former 'Con's next words were the ones that finally sent Prowl toppling over backwards, his logic glitch finally unable to withstand any more information.

"She must be mated to a worthy mech upon finishing her transformation; one who can protect her and guide her to fulfill her full. She has the potential to usher us all into a new era, " Barricade said. Sunstreaker made a sudden scoffing noise.

"She's a human! A squishy! There's no way in the pit that these little organics can be turned! Even if they could they still wouldn't be as valuable as our own femmes! What is your real game 'Con?" he growled. Barricade let out a soft snarl as Bumblebee and Jazz quickly moved between the two.

"Sunstreaker you have made your opinion of our human allies well known. Barricade, Jazz and Mirage know better than any of us outside of that innocent young femme what tortures the Decepticons have inflicted upon their slaves. Who are we to say what is possible and what isn't?" Optimus stated as he fixed a piercing stare once again on the unrepentant golden mech before him. Sunstreaker seemed to realize that he had pushed his luck and made a slightly stiff gesture of acquiesce before turning and stalking off. Bulkhead released Sideswipe, who hesitated a moment longer before trailing after his twin.

Optimus vented heavily as Barricade brushed at First Aid, who was attempting to see to his minor injury. This was turning into a disaster as he had known it would. But in the end, as he watched Jazz lead a cautious and wary Barricade to the brig where he would remain temporarily for his own safety Optimus had to admit that it would be worth it. Finally they had a real chance of stopping Megatron once and for all…and finding out just exactly what the traumatized young female in Ratchet's med bay had undergone. He had a feeling that there was more to the young woman that they realized.


	14. It Begins

**So...still not sure if I'm gonna continue this or not. I know I have people who love it but I'm struggling with it at the moment. Plus I have some issues to work through in regards to my boss deciding not to allow me to return to work and how I'm going to pay bills. I may continue this, still not sure yet. I'll let you know if I do decide to stop.**

Megatron drummed his claws on the arm of his chair slowly, deep in thought. He registered the sound of Scalpel and Knock Out's reports on the current sets of human females being tested but he simply did not care. They were not the femme he wanted; the femme that was the one to show that all of their hard work had been worth it. She would be the one to rise above all Cybertronians and led them into a new age and Megatron was determined to be the one to guide her.

_'The Autobots cannot discover just how important she really is,'_ the Decepticon leader thought with a scowl. He knew that Optimus would never betray his bond to Elita, not even to end their centuries old war.

_'There are…others though who would be strong enough to stand beside her. Others who are more than capable of defending the femme during her most vulnerable moments,'_he thought as his claws dug sharply into the material underneath them. He waved the two medics out of the room, knowing that they would return later to repeat the information that he had just blatantly ignored. He slammed a fist down before standing and beginning to prowl the room restlessly. No, if anyone was going to gain control and rule over their entire race it would be Megatron!

Ratchet studied the young girl as she dozed on the berth, curled up under the blanket he had given her with a pillow tucked underneath her head. Optimus had just finished relaying what they had learned and the medic was troubled. It was clear that while Brie was aware of what was happening to her, she had no clue just exactly how important she really was. How was he supposed to tell an innocent young female, who until just a few short years earlier didn't even know of their existence, that she was the key to bringing their race back from the brink of extinction?

"How is she?" Optimus' gentle rumble pulled Ratchet from his thoughts and the medic shook his head slightly.

"She finally fell into recharge. She is aware of what's happening to her but…" his voice trailed off as Optimus finished his statement grimly.

"But not why this has happened to her," the regal mech finished. Both remained quiet as they watched the girl turn restlessly in her sleep. Ratchet shook his head slightly again.

"Do we tell her? She has a right to know," the medic said. Optimus remained silent for a moment, his spark and his conscious struggling with each other. Ratchet was right; the girl deserved to know the truth. Yet his spark insisted that the information would do more harm to her already fragile psyche than good at that particular time. In the end he settled on a compromise that both his spark and his conscious could agree on.

"Once she is…stable…we will sit her down and tell her. For now let's just focus on helping her through the transformation and recovering from the abuse she has suffered," he said firmly. Ratchet murmured a soft agreement. For now they would concentrate on attending to her most basic needs, a sense of safety and belonging. There would be plenty of time to explain exactly what her new life meant to them all later.

When Brie woke she was surprised to find that she was temporarily alone. She yawned as she sat up, pushing the blanket down absently. Within moments Ratchet stood before her, with a very much concerned Optimus as well. She frowned as she studied their faces. Something more than her change was bothering them. The question was what it was.

"I'm glad to see that you're awake Brie," Optimus rumbled softly, reaching out to gently tap her head with one large metal digit. The girl smiled up at him as she stretched.

"I needed a nap I think. Is everything ok?" she asked anxiously as her smile faded. Just because she didn't hear any noise didn't mean that things weren't still tense. Optimus chuckled.

"Everything's fine. As I'm sure Ratchet told you there was a…mild disagreement. It's been taken care of," he said.

"For now," Ratchet muttered under his breath. Brie glanced from Optimus to Ratchet and back. There was definitely something going on.

"Did everything go ok?" she asked, deciding to let that particular line of discussion drop for the moment. Optimus nodded slightly.

"Indeed. We took out several of Megatron's best scouts and the ones who did escape may not be online for too much longer. Outside of a few dents and dings we came out ok," he replied. Brie let out a soft sigh of relief.

"So it's safe for me to leave? I'm hungry," she said quietly as her stomach gave a loud growl. Ratchet nodded and Optimus extended a hand, waiting until Brie was safely on it before turning towards the door.

"If you experience any more pain of any kind you come straight back," Ratchet instructed gruffly.

"I will," she replied as Optimus looked concerned.

"You've been having pain?" he asked. Brie patted one of the metal digits that were curled around her slightly in a reassuring manner as she gave him a half smile.

"It's nothing I can't handle. I've…experienced worse," she murmured. Ratchet and Optimus exchanged looks. The pain she was apparently feeling now was nothing compared to what she would feel once the main series of changes began to occur.

Optimus said nothing, though he did draw the young girl closer to him as he exited the med bay and made his way towards the rec room. Ratchet vented heavily as he turned to study the latest scans, shaking his head and muttering under his breath about pit-spawned medics and Decepticons who had obviously been spawned by Unicron himself.

"Whatcha lookin' at, Ratch?" Jazz's voice was curious as he peered over the medic's shoulder and Ratchet forced himself not to flinch though his voice was more annoyed than usual when he replied.

"Slag it Jazz don't do that!" he snapped even as he kept his attention focused on the scans. Jazz frowned as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

"What is that?" he finally asked. Ratchet shook his head before setting the scans down and turned to face the curious saboteur. At the dark glare he received from the medic Jazz hastily took a few steps back.

"It's called patient-medic confidentially Jazz. Now, was there something you wanted beside to pester me? Oh, you want your checkup early?" he smirked.

"Un…nah Ah think Ah hear Optimus callin'! Gotta go!" Jazz spun and was out of the med bay so fast Ratchet barely had time to see him go. He chuckled softly and shook his head before turning back to the scans. Just mentioning checkups was usually more than enough to get most 'Bots running, even Optimus.

"Brie! How are you feeling?" Mikaela asked as she and Sam approached the young girl. Optimus had just placed her on the ground before moving to go speak to Will and Epps about how to best coordinate the next strike. Brie smiled slightly as she shrugged, glancing around warily for any signs of Sunstreaker. That was one mech she would be more than happy to never set eyes on or encounter ever again.

"Ok I guess. A bit hungry," she replied as she moved to go grab some food, limping ever so slightly. Mikaela and Sam exchanged worried looks as they trailed after her.

"Did you hurt your leg Brie?" Sam asked anxiously. Brie stiffened slightly for a moment before forcing herself to relax.

"I might have twisted an ankle or something. I'm such a klutz at times," she replied with a forced laugh. Sensing her unease, Mikaela decided to change the subject though she made a note to speak with Ratchet about it later.

"All right let's grab some food. Do you have any clue what that commotion was about earlier?" Sam queried as they each grabbed a tray and began to fill it. Brie shook her head.

"Nope. I was in the med bay. All Ratchet and Optimus said was that there was a minor disagreement," she replied. Sam snorted and Mikaela laughed.

"If that was a minor disagreement then I would hate to see what a major one is!" she smirked. Brie laughed and the couple was happy to see that she appeared to be more relaxed around them. Now, if they could keep Sunstreaker from upsetting her then maybe she would see that all not all mechs were out to hurt or frighten her.

The trio headed for a nearby table and took a seat, Brie sighing softly in relief. She didn't want to admit it but the pain in her leg was getting worse. The frightening thing was that her other leg was beginning to stiffen up and hurt as well. Soon she wouldn't even be able to walk. She shook her head slightly, unaware of the way Sam and Mikaela were watching her. She would have to ask for help and that was something she wasn't looking forward to. She took a bite of her food, pushing away that thought for later. She would deal with it…when she had to. For now she would simply concentrate on her new friends and feeling as normal as she could.

Barricade reclined back on the berth in his cell, Frenzy hiding in the shadows underneath, gazing up at the ceiling. He knew this was for his own protection, as much from Ironhide as well as the slagging psycho twins, but it didn't mean he was happy about it. His protocols were screaming at him to find the girl and he growled as he got to his feet and began to pace. How the slag was he supposed to protect her while he was stuck in this cell?

"What's wrong 'Con? Don't like your quarters?" Sunstreaker jeered. Barricade turned and glared at the frontliner, who was standing in front of his cell, arms crossed over his chest. Frenzy hissed from the shadows and at a slight movement from the taller mech he fell silent.

"Bite me you psychotic fragger!" he snarled. Sunstreaker's optics flashed but he forced himself to remain calm. The last thing he wanted was to end up in a cell beside the ex-Con.

"Tell me the truth. What's your real reason for being here?" the golden mech asked. He simply did not buy the excuse that they had been fed. Humans could not be turned into Cybertronians and even if it was somehow possible they would still be inferior compared to a true Cybertronian. So why was everyone so fragging hopped up on protecting this one little insignificant squishy femme? Barricade snorted and shook his head.

"I told you the truth. It's not my fault your processor can't accept it. Perhaps you should have your medic check out that glitch," he smirked. Sunstreaker let out a low growl. The 'Con was asking for it.

"I will find out what you're really hiding 'Con and when I do I will be the one to take you out!" he hissed. Barricade watched as the volatile mech turned and stalked away, exiting the brig. He exhaled roughly as he resumed his pacing, Frenzy muttering to himself uneasily. Now he needed out of this cell more than ever. Brie needed protecting from that unstable 'Bot and Barricade only trusted himself to keep her safe.

"The next time we meet we'll see who the better mech is," he snarled quietly as he returned to his berth.

"The girl is in danger?" Frenzy asked anxiously as he scrambled up to sit on Barricade's chest. Barricade vented heavily as he nodded. Frenzy let out a small growl as he glared at the bars of the cell. The girl was their charge and if anything happened to her Frenzy would make sure to take out his own revenge on the closest mech, no matter who it was.


	15. Enlisting Help

**_I hadn't planned on updating until I had another few chapters written but to be honest I'm not sure how long it will take. Monday I lost a very good friend who, though I might have ever seen her face to face, was one of the most gentle, sweet and caring people I've been proud to call my friend. My heart is broken and as such all my desire to write has temporarily left. I will update as soon as I can but bear with me as I cannot sit and type without bursting into tears._**

**_From here on out there might be vague similarities to DaemonicKitten's wonderful fic 'Her Twins'. I have contacted her and have her permission to borrow some of her ideas to tweak into something my own. Thanks to her and Faecat for allowing me to use some of their ideas. Check out their awesome fics 'Science and Fiction' and 'Her Twins'!_**

Later that night found Brie sitting up on the edge of the bed, rubbing at her legs. The pain had faded away earlier in the evening and she had assumed that the changes within her had stopped again momentarily. She winced as she rubbed at a particularly hard spasm in her right leg. Apparently she had been wrong.

_'Damn it can I make it to the med bay?'_ she thought as she braced herself before slowly standing. For a moment her legs nearly buckled and Brie prepared to steady herself. Lucky for her they decided to cooperate and she made her way, slowly and haltingly, to the door and opened it. She stepped out into the hall and braced herself against the wall as her legs again threatened to buckle. Tears filled her eyes as she whispered a soft curse. By the looks of things she might as well start crawling towards the med bay and save herself the embarrassment of trying to walk.

_'Perhaps I should have taken a room closer to Elita and Optimus,'_ she thought wearily. She took a deep breath and began to inch her way down the hallway, pausing whenever she stumbled. After a few feet she finally gave in and allowed herself to sink to the floor, tears welling up in her eyes. If just this part of changing affected her so how would the rest of them affect her?

"Are you ok?" the deep metallic voice from in front of her made Brie jump and she wiped hastily at her eyes before looking up. She blinked at the sight of the silver mech she had met before, Sideswipe, staring down at her with a concerned look on his face. She hastily glanced around, searching for his twin. From what she understood where one was the other wasn't too far behind.

"Sunny's in our quarters in recharge so you don't have to worry," Sideswipe said softly. Brie relaxed slightly then sighed.

"I'm resting. I was on my way to med bay when I got tired," she replied. Sideswipe frowned as he reached down and carefully scooped her up. She couldn't stifle the small sound of pain that escaped her and Sideswipe's concern grew even more.

"I'll give you a ride," he said as he settled her against him and began to skate down the hallway. Brie said nothing, concentrating on not throwing up as her stomach turned at the rapid movement. She didn't know whether it was from the pain or from the speed Sideswipe was going; all she knew was that her stomach was threatening to revolt if it didn't stop.

"Hey Hatchet! Where are you?" Sideswipe called out as they glided into the med bay and came to a stop. There was a long silence before something silver came flying through the air, barely missing Sideswipe as quickly ducked.

"How many times do I have to tell you slaggers NOT to call me that?!" Ratchet growled as he emerged from his quarters behind the med bay. He immediately caught sight of Brie sitting awkwardly in the mech's hand and his whole demeanor changed.

"Set her down on the berth Sideswipe," he said gruffly as he prepared to run more tests on her. Sideswipe hesitated briefly before doing as told, moving back slightly though he didn't exit the room. Ratchet didn't seem to even notice as he began his scans, concentrating them on her legs. A soft Cybertronian curse escaped as he finished the scan and immediately compared them to his earlier ones. Brie sat quietly, still rubbing at her increasingly heavy legs as Sideswipe attempted to peer over Ratchet's shoulder.

"You still here? Go recharge Sideswipe," Ratchet said absently as he grew increasingly troubled by his findings. Sideswipe started to protest but an absently waved wrench upside his head convinced him otherwise. Grumbling under his breath, he turned and skated out of the med bay and down the hall. He knew better than to argue with Ratchet though he had been tempted to remain close by. He was starting to believe that perhaps Optimus and the others were right about the femme; it was obvious that the 'Cons had done something to her. The only question was did he trust Barricade? He vented harshly as he entered the quarters he shared with his twin, taking care not to disturb him. He didn't know what to think. Maybe after a decent recharge things would be much clearer.

"Brie, I want you to stay here for the rest of the night where I can keep an eye on you," Ratchet said softly as he turned towards the young girl. Brie offered no protest, knowing that it was for the best. By the way her legs were feeling come morning time she wouldn't be able to walk. Her eyes again began to water and Ratchet immediately reached for a sedative. Again Brie offered no protest, wanting the sweet oblivion of slumber at that moment.

"What's going to happen to me Ratchet?" she asked quietly as she allowed him to move her to a human sized bed and cover her up. The medic hesitated; even he wasn't sure how long the transformation would take. All he knew is that the young girl would be in a tremendous amount of pain and there was little he could offer her that would help ease it any.

"I wish I could say Brie. This is something outside of my realm of experience," he replied honestly. Brie nodded. She didn't expect any false words. Ratchet didn't believe in lying to his patients, a fact that Brie was glad for. She had to admit, she trusted him more than she ever thought she would.

"What about tomorrow?" she responded. Ratchet adjusted the covers again before meeting her gaze.

"It's more than likely you will be unable to walk. Until you finish your transformation you will lose control slowly but surely over your limbs. I believe once it reaches your heart and lungs the rest should go quickly," he said. Brie felt a tremor of fear go through her. She didn't want to be stuck inside a shell of her body, waiting for it to finish the process that Scalpel had begun. Why did the experiments he had performed seem to work out as he had wanted on her?

"Try to get some rest. In the morning we'll be able to figure out what to do. If you need anything just call out. I'll be able to hear you," he said. He watched Brie snuggle under the blanket and within moments she was out, the sedative having worked its magic. He stood watching her, sympathy and anger filling him. She was such a young and innocent human. She didn't deserve what she was going through; no human did. He shook his head as he turned to go back into his quarters, keeping the door open. In the morning he would speak with Optimus about her living conditions. He only wished he knew how long her change was going to take. He hated seeing anyone or anybot in pain. It was even worse seeing it in a sweet young girl who had had her life changed in ways that no one would ever be able to understand.

When Brie woke the next morning she was none too surprised to find that she couldn't move her legs. She simply remained still in the bed, staring up at the ceiling as fear coursed through her. If she couldn't feel or move her legs how was she supposed to know how to do anything else that her body required?

"How are you feeling this morning?" Brie jumped at the sound of Optimus' voice and she turned her head to find him standing there with Elita. Both had concerned looks on their faces and she could almost see Elita fighting the urge to scoop her up and cradle her close. She forced a faint smile to her face but the sight only seemed to worry the couple more.

"I'm…ok," she finally said. Optimus reached out and placed the tip of a finger on top of her hair in a silent gesture of comfort. Ratchet walked over and performed a scan, muttering softly at the results.

"What's wrong?" Elita asked anxiously. She knew that Brie was changing but she wasn't aware of just how fast they were going. Ratchet vented heavily.

"The changes are beginning to speed up. Her legs are now totally Cybertronian. It's just a matter of time before the rest of her follows suit," he said as he adjusted the covers over the young girl. Elita's expression grew even more worried as Optimus' optics dimmed slightly. How he wished he could take away her pain!

"Can she be moved?" Optimus finally asked. Ratchet hesitated before looking at Brie.

"It's up to her. Do you feel ok to be moved Brie?" the medic asked. Brie thought for a moment, taking stock of her feelings. At the moment she felt no pain so perhaps a quick trip outside of the med bay would be ok. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be up to such things very soon.

"As long as you don't move as fast as Sideswipe," she said as she grimaced. Optimus arched an optic ridge as Elita turned to Ratchet with a frown.

"Sideswipe brought her in last night. I'm assuming she was trying to get here and her legs failed," he replied with a shrug. Optimus filed the question as to why Sideswipe had even been out and around her quarters for later as he watched Elita carefully scoop Brie up and hold her to her chest. He helped Brie carefully tuck the blanket around her, knowing that she wouldn't want anyone seeing her legs as Ratchet spoke again.

"I know you may not feel like it Brie but you should try to eat and drink something," the medic said. Brie sighed softly as she nodded.

"I'm not hungry but I'll try," she said quietly. Ratchet nodded and watched as Elita disappeared out of the room even as Optimus hesitated.

"Barricade is insistent on seeing the girl," he said. Ratchet hesitated as he looked at his leader.

"Do you think that's wise?" he asked. Optimus nodded.

"He's been very helpful about the little information he has been able to give us on the experiments. Maybe if he sees her it will help him recall if he knows anything specific," he said. Ratchet thought that over and realized that Optimus had a valid point.

"Just don't allow Sunstreaker anywhere near the area. If he upsets Brie again there's no telling what effect it might have on her already fragile state," he said. Optimus nodded.

"I'll pass along whatever information I learn later," he said. Ratchet watched as the taller mech turned and left the med bay and shook his head. He turned his attention back to the scans, seeking some clue as to what to expect next. It never hurt to be prepared; even if you weren't sure what you were preparing for would happen.

"Brie! Are you ok?" the sound of Mikaela's worried voice caught my attention and Brie smiled slightly as she waved down at her.

"I'm fine just didn't feel like walking," she replied cheekily, drawing a soft laugh from Elita and an amused head shake from Optimus. Mikaela's eyes narrowed slightly, knowing that something was off. She pushed the feeling aside for later. She could always corner the girl and bug her for the real reason that she was being held so protectively by the female Autobot commander.

"Major Lennox may I have a word?" Optimus asked as he caught sight of Will and Epps talking nearby. The dark haired soldier turned and approached the Autobot leader, his eyes growing dark with concern as he caught sight of Brie resting casually against Elita's chest.

"What's up big guy?" he asked as he waited for the Prime to speak. To his surprise he gestured for the soldier to follow him and, after a curious look from Epps and a slight shrug indicating that he didn't know what was going in, followed after the Autobot leader. Once outside of the rec room he watched Optimus lean down until he was close enough to keep his voice as low as he could to avoid anyone overhearing.

"Brie is feeling under the weather. Can you retrieve her something that won't be too hard on her to eat?" he asked softly. His eyes widened slightly as he recalled the information that the ex-Con had volunteered after Sunstreaker had been called off.

"So she's…changing?" he murmured. Optimus nodded.

"Her legs are Cybertronian, hence the blanket covering them. She is unable to move them and will soon be unable to move at all until the changes are complete," he replied. Will felt his heart sink at the undeniable pain that the young girl was going to experience as well as overwhelming anger at the Cons. What they were doing was unspeakably horrible and he made a silent vow that the 'scientists' would be the first ones to be taken out.

"Will she be able to handle eating?" he asked. Optimus hesitated.

"I am unsure but Ratchet said that she at least needs to try," he said. Will sighed softly and nodded.

"I'll get her some soup. That's light on the stomach and fairly easy to eat. Do you want me to bring it to med bay?" he asked. Optimus nodded.

"I'll stop by when we're on our back there. Barricade has been asking to see the girl and we think it would be prudent to allow him to do so. He was responsible as you know for her escape and took care of her as best he could during her captivity," he said. That fact that a 'Con was responsible for helping a human still boggled his mind.

"All right…I'm assuming you want this to be kept as quiet as possible?" he asked, meaning that outside of himself and Epps no other human was to know. Optimus nodded again.

"I'm afraid that if the other humans were to know they would treat her differently. She will have a hard enough time adjusting to being a Cybertronian as it is," he replied. Will sighed. Optimus was right; if anyone else was to know they would either overdo the sympathetic attempts to help or avoid her like the plague.

"I'll have to fill Epps in. We'll bring you something as soon as you're ready," he said. Optimus smiled slightly as he stood.

"Thank you Will," he said simply. Will watched as the mech strolled off to retrieve his mate and Brie, a dark look crossing his face.

"When I get through with those 'Cons they're going to wish that they never met us," he growled before stalking after Optimus. It didn't matter what time it was or how long it took; he was going to be at her side during her painful transformation to lend his support, no matter what anyone or anybot said.


	16. Fruitless Searches and Revelations

**Another chapter done! I'm still struggling with certain aspects of this so bear with me. And if some of it sounds a little far fetched...well it is fan fiction LOL!**

Megatron listened to Soundwave's status report, unsurprised. He had known from the time he had made the treacherous Seeker his SIC that the mech would attempt to overthrow him. No matter how many times he tried, no matter how many times Megatron reminded him just who the _real_ leader was, Starscream just never gave up. It was a bit sad, funny and admirable at the same time. Megatron respected mechs who were persistent in their attempts at whatever they did; unfortunately he didn't respect them when it came to attempts to overthrow him.

"Keep monitoring him Soundwave. If he finds the girl let me know immediately. I will deal with his treachery," he growled. Soundwave bowed his head in acknowledgment and exited the room, leaving Megatron alone with his thoughts. He found them turning to the traitor, Barricade, and his optics flashed.

_'When I get my claws on you Barricade you will be nothing more than a smoking pile of discarded parts!'_ he thought with a snarl. His claws slowly curled up at the thought of viciously dismantling the traitor that he had foolishly trusted. It made Megatron realize that he was now having doubts about some of his other officers, Soundwave and Shockwave included. Decepticons were not made for being loyal. It was a trait that he himself had unwittingly reinforced with some of his own actions.

He stood and began to pace the chamber, unsettled at his thoughts. Barricade's seemingly unexpected defection had shaken him more than he had previously thought. Starscream was the traitor you saw coming and expected. Barricade had not been. How else could he be wrong about his top officers?

Starscream flew over the town that, unknown to him, Brie had been found in by Lennox and Epps. His radars were scanning for her elevated body signature and given the length of time that had passed since her disappearance the slight traces that she had left behind would be gone. Thundercracker and Skywarp flew on either side of him, remaining silent. They could tell when their leader was in a foul mood and they could feel along their bonds that even the slightest wrong word would set him off. They landed in one nameless town and transformed, Starscream finally speaking.

"Apparently the traitor was able to get her even further than we thought," he muttered as he kicked at the crumbled remains of a building. The two other Seekers said nothing, knowing that their leader was merely speaking out loud to himself.

"Just how far is the slagging Autobot base?" he growled as he glared around the countryside, as if expecting the base to suddenly be revealed to him.

"Maybe it's underground?" Skywarp finally suggested meekly. He cringed at the glare Starscream shot him but was relieved when his leader appeared to be contemplating the idea.

"It's possible I suppose," he admitted reluctantly as he gazed at the mountains that were standing tall in the far off distance. It was also possible that the base could even be tucked inside of a mountain. He vented harshly as he again kicked at the building. Why couldn't things just be easy for once?

Barricade heard the sound of approaching footsteps and rolled off the berth, facing the door of his cell warily. He was surprised when the Autobot leader and his mate stopped before it. He was even more surprised when he realized that they had brought Brie to him. He stepped forward slightly, catching Brie's attention. She looked surprised to see him.

"'Cade what are you doing here?" she asked anxiously. The mech had taken great pains to ensure that she escaped safely, even risking his own spark. So what was he doing here in the Autobot brig? Barricade was silent for a moment as he took in the way the blanket was arranged over her legs and a flash of anger briefly crossed his features.

"So they were successful after all," he said flatly as he raised his optics to meet Optimus'. The giant mech nodded slightly and Barricade let out a growl as he turned and slammed a fist into the wall, startling Brie.

"Those fragging Unicron spawned glitches!" he roared. Brie remained silent, though she wasn't afraid. She had been aware of Barricade's disgust of the experiments the medics had been performing; he just hadn't been able to vent his fury out loud until now.

"Are you certain you don't know anything more? Something that might help us prepare her?" Elita asked softly as a note of anxiety crept into her voice. Barricade's shoulders slumped briefly; a telling gesture at his own feelings of guilt before he straightened again into the proud ex-Con that he was.

"Trust me if I knew I would tell you," he replied as he shifted his red optics to Brie.

"Other than that," he said as he gestured to her legs, "how have you been doing?" he asked. He watched her quickly glance away but he could read the fear that suddenly shot through her slender frame and he turned to Optimus for an explanation.

**::I will explain once she's gone. Ratchet will have my aft if we upset her any more than she already has been,:: **he said over a private com link. Barricade snorted softly at the image of the Autobot leader being afraid of the ill-tempered medic, ignoring the unamused look he received as he nodded.

"I've been ok 'Cade. I've met a few of the more friendly 'Bots. Thank you…for everything," Brie said quietly. The mech didn't answer but she could see by the way he stilled momentarily that he was caught off guard by her thanks.

"I'm going to take her back to med bay now Optimus. She needs to try and eat," Elita said quietly. Optimus nodded and, after a brief touch of a finger to the young girl's hair, he watched his mate leave the brig, Brie cradled close to her. It was only after they were out of hearing range that Optimus answered Barricade's unspoken question.

"She had a…run in with Sunstreaker," he sighed. Barricade scowled.

"Did he hurt her?" he demanded, wanting nothing more than to be free to track down that psychotic mech. Optimus looked startled for a moment then quickly shook his head.

"No! He just frightened her. Though it was after the incident that the symptoms began to show themselves," he replied. Barricade vented heavily as he began to pace the cell again.

"Have you managed to convince your trigger happy weapons specialist that I'm no threat? I can't exactly watch over her while I'm in here," Barricade growled. Optimus' optics dimmed momentarily before brightening again.

"I've asked both he and Chromia to come here. Rest assured Prowl will have Jazz and Mirage along to vouch for you," he said, hasty to add the part about Jazz and Mirage as Barricade moved to question the wisdom of his actions. Barricade muttered something that Optimus pretended not to hear as his pacing quickened, his thoughts on the young girl he had taken as a charge from the moment he had been assigned to watch over Megatron's humans.

He hadn't been able to explain why he had felt the urge to protect her, nor could Frenzy. The times that his small partner had returned with stories of how the humans treated her had left Barricade to seek out the training facility, lest he vent his anger out on the very humans he had been left in charge of. He knew that the longer he was stuck in the brig the greater the chances of her being hurt by some mech, Sunstreaker immediately flashing across his processor, were. The thought of sending Frenzy through the vents never crossed his processor.

A few minutes later Barricade heard the heavy footsteps of Ironhide and Chromia and despite his surroundings moved into a defensive position. Even though he was stuck in a cell and had his weapons disabled it didn't mean he was going to allow the mech to use him as target practice if he could help it. Frenzy scrambled underneath the berth and into the shadows, preparing to help his partner should he get the chance. Optimus sensed their unease and made a slight calming motion as Ironhide and Chromia approached, followed closely by Prowl, Jazz and Mirage.

"What's this slag about the 'Con defecting?" Ironhide growled, cannons spinning as he glared in the cell at the too still and silent mech. Jazz and Mirage immediately placed themselves between the suspicious mech and femme and the defenseless Barricade. Prowl remained quiet to allow Optimus to explain, though he himself was having trouble coming to grips with the idea of a Decepticon actually leaving Megatron's rule

"It's true. Barricade has left the Decepticons and has asked us for sanctuary," Optimus said firmly. Ironhide's optics widened as a look of shock spread across Chromia's face.

"You can't be serious!" she snapped. Jazz crossed his arms over his chest as a cool and neutral expression settled on his face.

"Ah was there 'Mia. 'Cade is serious 'bout leavin' his control," he replied. Chromia glanced from him to Mirage, who nodded silently.

"Is this because of the human girl?" Ironhide asked suspiciously. Barricade forced himself to remain still at the note he heard in the mech's voice as he answered the question himself.

"The human femme has been through a lot in the last two years. She needs a guardian. I've watched over her since Megatron assigned me to his particular group of pets. She needs close guarding, especially now," he growled. Ironhide and Chromia looked at Optimus, who vented wearily. Even Prowl, Jazz and Mirage were waiting for him to speak, knowing that obviously something had happened to the female recently.

"Since the…incident with Sunstreaker her health has declined. As of this moment Brie can no longer walk. Ratchet is unsure of what will happen next or even when it will happen," he said quietly. A hushed silence fell over the group before Ironhide and Chromia turned to Barricade with a snarl.

"You say you protected the girl yet you LET those glitches perform unnatural experiments on her! How is that protecting?" Chromia hissed. Barricade's optics flashed as he stepped closer to the front of the cell, ignoring the way Ironhide's cannons whirled in warning.

"The experiments were mostly over and done with the results being shown to Megatron by the time I was assigned to watch over his pets. He himself asked me to keep a close eye on her after reading the results. I had no knowledge of what had been done to her or what the outcome would be until I overheard that little fragger Scalpel and Knock Out speaking," he growled.

"Do you think we're not capable of protecting her?" Ironhide snapped, offended that the 'Con thought that an Autobot was incapable of protecting one single human female. Barricade vented heavily.

"If anyone could keep her safe it would be the Autobots…well with the exception of a few," he grumbled.

"It was the reason I risked my spark to see that she made it here safely. I can't explain how I feel. All I know is that I have to watch over her for now," he said. Prowl had been quietly observing and listening to everything, analyzing the situation before coming to what he was sure was a rational conclusion.

"You have a guardian bond with her," he said as he fixed his blue optics on Barricade. The mech nodded slightly.

"So you have no interest in taking her for a mate?" Ironhide asked. Barricade scowled.

"I swear I said somewhere that I saw her as a charge only during some point in the conversation!" he snarled. Ironhide's optics narrowed at the tone but he said nothing.

"I believe that we can let you out, though you will have to have an escort," Optimus finally said. Barricade offered no complaint even as Frenzy crept out from under the berth and scrambled over to stand beside him.

"I'll be watching you closely 'Con," Ironhide said in a deep menacing voice.

"I'd expect nothing else," Barricade replied dryly. Frenzy snickered they quickly hushed at the look he received from his taller partner.

Feeling as if he was making a mistake but knowing that it had to be done, Optimus released the door of the cell and watched it swing open. Ironhide and Chromia visibly tensed as the mech stepped out but otherwise made no sign of just how uneasy they felt about the whole situation.

"I think it would be wise if Barricade recharges in an area where he can be able to defend himself should he need to," Prowl suddenly said. Optimus frowned as Barricade sent the other mech a slightly grateful look. Prowl merely gazed back and Barricade rolled his optics before turning back to Optimus. It was hard to tell what was going on in that mech's processor.

"He has a point Prime. Those glitching twins of yours would like nothing more than to skewer me and I'm not really thrilled at the idea of having extra holes in me. In here I wouldn't have a fighting chance of escaping," he said. Optimus nodded then shook his head as he turned to Ironhide.

"Ironhide, could you and Jazz please escort the twins to my office? I believe we're long overdue for a chat about respect," he said. Prowl frowned as Jazz merely smirked. Ironhide looked confused until after a quick explanation from Jazz he growled and turned, stomping out of the area with Jazz hot on his heels. Chromia looked at Mirage, who merely shrugged and moved to go after the two mechs. Prowl had already moved after them, leaving Mirage and Chromia to follow. After they were gone Barricade turned to Optimus, surprised by the slight smirk he spotted on the Autobot leader's lips.

"Was it wise to send those two after them?" he asked, curious. Optimus chuckled as he began to walk beside Barricade.

"Let's just say that Ironhide and Jazz will make sure that the twins will be at my office one way or the other. Maybe Sunstreaker will learn a bit about respect before he arrives," he replied. Barricade couldn't help the dry bark of laughter that escaped him. Who knew that the Autobot leader had such a sense of dry humor?


	17. Discussions

**Why do they call it a creative writing class when it sucks all the creativity out of you lol? That said I'm still struggling with writer's block. I think once I get past this little hurdle things will flow a bit more smoothly. Until then I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Ratchet and Elita watched silently as Brie toyed with her soup, obviously not hungry. She had managed to eat some of it and drink the juice that went with it but it appeared that even that tiny amount was enough to unsettle her. The medic shook his head. He hadn't wanted to have to put her on an IV just yet. It looked as if the decision was now out of his hands.

The sound of loud shouting rang out from down the hallway, causing Brie to jump as she turned her head towards the sound. Ratchet cursed and stalked towards the door and Elita heard Brie giggle softly. She smiled and waited until they heard Ratchet storming down the hall before scooping her up and moving towards the door.

"Shall we see what all the racket's about?" she smirked. Brie grinned in return and nestled back against the femme. Whatever was going on was sure to be something worth seeing.

"Sunstreaker!" the sound of Ironhide's voice bellowing down the hallway had the golden mech jumping and spinning around in the rec room, crouching down defensively as the few humans inside scrambled for cover. Within moments Ironhide had stalked into the room, Jazz hot on his heels, and Sunstreaker's optics narrowed.

"I haven't done anything!" he growled belligerently. Jazz crossed his arms and stared at him steadily as he spoke.

"Speakin' back ta Optimus is nothin'? Ya disrespected him Sunny and ya know how serious 'Hide takes that," he said sternly. Sunstreaker snarled at the smaller mech though he knew better than to provoke him. He had recently been on the end of one ass kicking by him he wasn't that eager to experience a second one so soon.

"Don't call me that! All I said was that I didn't understand why we're risking the safety of the base just to protect one small insignificant human!" he snapped back. Ironhide's optics narrowed even as Will and Epps glared at the mech. They knew that Sunstreaker found working with them utterly repugnant but to hear him degrade an innocent young girl who had done nothing was enough to push their buttons.

"The young femme has been through the kind of torture that even we would have a hard time surviving much less coming out with our processors intact! You should be lucky that we only have orders to escort you and Sideswipe to Optimus' office instead of taking you to the training facility and using you as a target!" Ironhide growled. Sideswipe's face darkened.

"Hey why am I getting dragged into this?" he snapped. Jazz shot him an irate glare.

"'Cause yer related ta this glitch!" he shot back. Sunny flinched towards the small saboteur slightly and Jazz just grinned, wiggling his claws in a 'come and get it' gesture. Visibly restraining himself, Sunstreaker stood and assumed the arrogant sneer that they were all so familiar with.

"All you had to do was ask. The last thing I need is either of you messing with my paint job just when I got it redone," he said coolly. He strolled past the two annoyed 'Bots, Sideswipe trailing after him in a mixture of amusement and his own annoyance. Jazz and Ironhide looked at each other and both growled as they turned and stalked after the troublemakers, leaving Will and Epps staring in surprise. Somehow Sunstreaker had managed to get the best of both Ironhide and Jazz and the two humans knew that the golden mech would end up paying for it sooner or later.

Ratchet watched as the twins stalked by, arching an optic ridge at the sight of them moving willingly towards Optimus' office. He watched Ironhide and Jazz trail after them, making sure that they were actually going to where they were supposed to. He heard Elita moving towards him and turned to see Brie looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"Nothing to be concerned about; apparently Sunstreaker and Sideswipe weren't too happy about having to go see Optimus," he said. Neither he nor Elita missed the way Brie tensed at the mention of Sunstreaker and it made them reaffirm their decision to keep that particular mech as far away from her as they could.

"Hey Brie did you eat?" the sound of Will's voice from below caught the girl's attention and she peered down and waved at the older male.

"As much as I could," she replied. Will nodded, as if understanding and Epps grinned up at her with a cheeky expression.

"You better eat girl otherwise I'll have to sit on you until you do," he called up. There was a moment's silence before Brie broke out giggling at the thought. Ratchet snorted and Elita smiled down at the soldier, who winked and broke out in an innocent whistle as Will nudged him.

"Yeah having the thought of your heavy ass sitting on her is really going to help," he snickered. Brie laughed harder as she listened to the two men bicker playfully and for a moment she was not a runaway Decepticon pet with an unknown future. She was Brianna, an innocent 18 year old girl who was enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

A few moments later a small yawn escaped her and Ratchet gestured towards the med bay. The two men watched as Elita carried Brie away, still giggling, before turning their attention to Ratchet, who had lingered. They saw the look of sorrow that crossed his face before he turned his attention to them.

"Thank you Major Lennox, Sergeant Epps. I believe that is the first time I've ever heard her really let herself forget her troubles," he said quietly. Both men nodded, their expressions growing serious.

"How…is she doing?" Epps finally asked. Ratchet was silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts, before kneeling down to speak to them.

"Normally I would cite patient-medic confidentially but given the circumstances I'm waving it. She's stable for the moment. I have no way of knowing when the changes will begin again or how long it'll take," he replied wearily. Epps sighed and Will shook his head.

"What caused them to begin anyways?" he asked. Ratchet's optics darkened.

"Sunstreaker," he spat out. Epps looked surprised. Before he could ask Ratchet continued.

"The day that he frightened her it triggered something in her to activate the acceleration of the changes. From my initial scans she would have undergone them gradually, giving us time to prepare her and ourselves. Thanks to Sunstreaker's attitude we don't have such a luxury now," he growled. Both men stiffened, anger crossing their faces.

"Is that why Optimus wants to see him? What about Sideswipe?" Epps asked as he struggled to keep his anger under control. Ratchet shook his head slightly.

"Sunstreaker publicly disrespected Optimus when Barricade was brought in under his own power. If Ironhide had been available he would never have attempted such a thing. Sideswipe is merely getting the same lecture to spare Optimus the grief of having to repeat it later," he replied.

"Makes sense," Will said. Ratchet nodded and stood to his full height before turning towards the med bay.

"If you wish to visit her you may unless she's sleeping," he said as he walked off. Will and Epps watched him go, their thoughts dark. Turning to head back into the rec room one common thought crossed their minds simultaneously.

_'When I get my hands on those Decepticons there will be nothing left, not even any spare parts!'_

When the twins stepped into the office they were surprised to find that Optimus was the only one in there. Sunstreaker exchanged a confused look with Sideswipe. He had felt for sure that Prowl at least would have been there. The sound of the door closing quietly behind them made him realize that even Ironhide and Jazz had stayed outside. Apparently this was something pretty serious.

Optimus simply gazed at the twins steadily, gathering his thoughts. He watched the way they fidgeted slightly, though Sunstreaker tried to cover it up as a movement to check his finish. The Autobot leader smirked behind his battle mask. Sometimes it was the smallest things that amused him though he couldn't show it. Seeing Sunstreaker squirm as he continued to be silent was one of those things.

"You wanted to see us…sir?" Sideswipe finally spoke. Optimus' smirk widened, though his optics continued to remain stern. Sideswipe at least remembered his manners.

"I wished to speak to you about the young girl and your attitude towards her," he finally said as he fixed a piercing stare on Sunstreaker. To his credit the mech never flinched, though his optics hardened slightly at his words.

"What exactly is so slagging special about her? Even if it is true that she's undergoing some sort of…transformation it shouldn't concern us!" he snapped. Optimus' optics narrowed, all amusement lost at his words.

"The girl has suffered more than you or I will ever know. We are fighting to restore the freedom that the humans lost when Megatron took control of this planet. I have no desire to see this one befall the same fate as Cybertron," he said sternly. Sideswipe watched his twin roll his optics and quickly moved to say something before Optimus decided to be done with the 'lecture' and simply called in Ironhide to deal with the moody mech.

"So she is changing?" he asked and a note of concern crept into his voice despite itself. Sunstreaker shot him a disbelieving glare as he picked up on it. Since when did his brother show concern over a squishy? Optimus nodded.

"So that's what you wanted? You called us in here for a lecture?" Sunstreaker growled. Optimus climbed to his feet and for a moment Sunstreaker feared that he had pushed his leader too far.

"I called you in here to tell you to leave Barricade alone. He is resuming his duties as the girl's guardian until such time that he is no longer needed," he said harshly. Sideswipe's optics widened. They were going to let a known 'Con wander their base because of the girl? No wonder Sunny was so slagged! Before he could even think of protesting the door opened to allow Prowl and Ironhide to enter, leaving Jazz to lounge casually in the doorway.

"Do you understand my…request? Or do you need a little help comprehending?" Optimus said smoothly. This time both twins just stared at him in shock. Did their Prime really just imply that they were glitches? Jazz let out a soft snort and Sunstreaker whipped his head back to glare at him, receiving a cheeky unrepentant smirk in return.

"Do you understand?" this time it was Prowl who asked and Sunstreaker could just sense Ironhide's eagerness to 'help' them understand.

"Crystal clear," Sunstreaker finally snarled. He turned to leave only to be stopped when Ironhide grabbed an arm. His threats about his paint job went unheard as the weapons specialist spun him back around. His words made Sunstreaker vow to pull off another prank on the mech.

"Now, I think you own Optimus an apology."


	18. Paying the Price

***gasp* two chapters in one day? Amazing! Thought I'd throw this one up as well just in case I go through another spell where I don't update for a bit. I'd like to send out a special thanks to my anonymous reviewers as well as my regular ones. It makes me happy to know that my fic is so well liked =) That said I do hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Megatron stared down at the mass of humans that scurried below him, working on their appointed tasks diligently. Since Brie's departure his mood had been foul and the humans had quickly learned to do their jobs without complaint, lest they catch the eye and the wrath of the Decepticon leader. He turned away with a soft growl as he stalked back towards his quarters. He wished that Starscream had returned, even if he had no news. He needed a good outlet for his anger and beating the Seeker was his favorite source of relief.

_'The changes should be starting soon,'_ he thought with a snarl as he stalked into the room and palmed the doors closed. He paced the spacious living area, too wound up to even snag a cube of high grade Energon. The girl should have been here, where he could monitor the changes. He should have been the one waiting to help her learn what it means to be a Cybertronian. Instead that traitor Barricade had helped her escape and most likely she was now firmly entrenched within the Autobot base.

He let loose a loud snarl as he slammed a fist into the wall, making a deep dent. He turned away and stalked over to grab a cube of Energon before sinking into the chair by the table. As he sipped at the drink, not wanting to get overcharged at the moment, his thoughts turned again to Starscream. He knew that the traitor was searching for the girl, but only to use for his own means. He smirked as he suddenly downed the drink. Starscream would bungle up any attempt to claim the girl for himself, and he would pay the price for it. He tossed the cube aside and stood, heading back out the door and down to the communications room. Hopefully Soundwave would have some sort of news no matter how bad it was.

Brie whimpered softly as fiery pain blazed through her body. It wasn't the pain that frightened it. It was the slowly increasing numbness she felt. In the wake of the pain the numbness had crept after it until she was unable to feel anything from the middle of her body down. She still had temporary control of her arms, though it was beginning to grow harder and harder to breath.

She attempted to call for help, the pain stealing away her voice before she could even issue a sound. Ratchet had been called out of the med bay due to another fight between Skids and Mudflap and First Aid was currently working on the far side of the room. She closed her eyes tight, fear coursing through her and seeming to aggravate the pain and numbness.

She was aware of a mech entering the med bay and coming to stand beside her and she managed to turn her head and look. Her fear increased further as she found Sunstreaker standing there, staring at her with a mixture of disgust and unwilling curiosity as he studied her. Why was he here? She was already frightened enough as it was! Had he come to ensure that she didn't make it through the changes?

"What is so special about you femme that has everybot jumping to please?" he growled. Brie opened her mouth to speak, only to have a low moan of pain escape instead. The golden mech frowned as he studied her. She was just a plain ordinary human. So why did he feel a sudden surge of guilt at frightening her at the moment?

"Human you will answer my question!" he snapped as he leaned closer. Brie's eyes widened, tears falling as she struggled to make a sound, any sound. Finally a tiny squeak escaped her as Sunstreaker was abruptly hauled away from her and sent flying across the med bay, scattering tools and human medical equipment everywhere. Brie watched as Barricade came to stand before her, his entire frame tense as he glared at the slowly recovering frontline mech.

"Leave the girl alone," he growled dangerously. Sunstreaker rolled to his feet, his optics narrowed even as a sneer etched itself across his lips.

"I see that you managed to escape 'Con. Maybe now Optimus will listen and allow me to offline you!" he snarled as his weapons dropped down into sight. Barricade remained still, though he moved into a defensive position. He was Brie's guardian and he'd be slagged if he allowed this psychotic fragger harm her!

"SUNSTREAKER!" Ratchet's voice boomed out through the tense silence as a wrench went sailing through the air, pegging the golden mech unerringly in the helm. Sunstreaker dropped to the floor, temporarily offline. Ratchet sent out a message to Prowl and Ironhide to help the volatile mech out of the room before turning his attention to a still tense Barricade.

"What happened?" he growled as he moved towards the girl. He froze at the low feral sound that emitted from the ex-Con's lips and knew that until his defensive protocols calmed down he wouldn't be able to get anywhere near Brie. He vented in frustration as Ironhide and Prowl stepped into the room, stopping briefly in surprise at the sight of Barricade and an unconscious Sunstreaker.

"Has the 'Con been causing trouble?" Ironhide asked a bit too eagerly as Prowl silently assessed the situation. Ratchet shook his head.

"No apparently something happened between him and Sunstreaker. I'm assuming that Sunstreaker came in here for Primus only knows what reason and Barricade moved to protect his charge. Of course now I can't get anywhere near her!" he snarled. Prowl glanced from Barricade to the still unconscious Sunstreaker and back.

"Barricade moved to protect the girl. His bond is strong," Prowl said. Ironhide grunted as he hauled the frontliner up, keeping a tight grip on him as his optics onlined and he groaned.

"What the slag happened?" he growled. His optics came to rest on Barricade and he tensed as he prepared to lunge at him. Ironhide tightened his grip, drawing Sunstreaker's attention to him.

"Hey watch the paint!" he snapped. Ironhide snorted as Prowl pinned Sunstreaker underneath a disapproving glare.

"What were you doing in here Sunstreaker?" he asked. The golden mech looked petulant for a moment before answering.

"I had…questions about the femme that I wanted to ask Ha…Ratchet," he replied coolly. Ratchet's optics narrowed at the almost slipping of the hated nickname but showed no other signs of acknowledgment of his words.

"When I came in he was leaning over her and frightening her. She's scared enough with the pain she's feeling as it is," Barricade growled as he finally stepped aside to allow Ratchet to see the girl. The medic immediately cursed and rushed forward, calling out for First Aid.

"First Aid bring the human IV system and monitors quickly!" he snapped as he scanned Brie. He was troubled to find that the changes were occurring rapidly, having progressed up to where her lungs were beginning to shut down in preparation of the transformation even as her heart began to slow and show signs of changing to a spark. First Aid was quick to follow instructions, feeling disgusted that he hadn't noticed either Sunstreaker bothering the girl or her pain, and brought the necessary items. The two medics moved in synchronization as they hooked up the equipment and began to track her progress.

Barricade stood off to the side quietly, refusing to leave his charge again. He heard Ironhide drag Sunstreaker out of the room and the sound of the mech cursing down the hall and smirked slightly. He registered Prowl coming to stand beside him and turned his optics briefly to the other mech. He was uncomfortable to find the SIC studying him intently and he forced himself to remain still.

"What happened between you and Sunstreaker?" Prowl asked suddenly, catching the other mech off guard. Barricade started to snap that it was none of his business but he vented softly as Ratchet began to curse.

"I was coming to check on the girl. I found that psycho standing over her demanding to know something. She was frightened and in a great deal of pain. So I took care of at least one part of her problem," he replied coolly. Prowl nodded and they both fell silent as they watched the two medics try to stabilize the girl.

"How is she?" Optimus' voice was soft and Barricade flinched slightly. He turned to see the Autobot leader and his mate standing just inside the door, fear and concern in their optics. How could somebot so big move so slagging quietly?

"You need to get out of here and let us concentrate!" Ratchet snarled as he moved to inject something into the I.V. The mechs fell silent and Ratchet took his gaze off Brie's unnaturally still form momentarily to glare at them.

"I'm not leaving," Barricade said flatly, his optics daring the medic to make him leave. Ratchet vented heavily and turned his optics to Prowl and Optimus.

"Keep me posted," Prowl said as he slipped from the room, heading down the hallway to make sure Sunstreaker was actually in the brig and hadn't managed to slip away from Ironhide. Optimus narrowed his optics, as did Elita.

"We're staying," he said firmly. Ratchet opened his mouth to protest then closed it again as he thought better of it. He turned away in a huff, scanning the young girl and comparing them to the readouts he was receiving on the human monitors.

"It appears that the changes have halted again, though she will need to remain on an I.V. and she needs to remain calm," he growled. Barricade nodded, as did Optimus.

"Can…can we see her?" Elita asked quietly. Ratchet nodded and stepped aside to allow her to move forward as Barricade remained nearby. He knew that he needed to allow the femme her time to reassure herself that the young girl was still alive. He watched as she reached out hesitantly them paused, as if unsure of whether she would hurt her or not. At a discreet nod from Ratchet she gently touched the tip of a finger to Brie's hair, her optics watering at the small movement that she received at the gesture.

"How much longer do you think…?" Optimus began, unable to finish the question. Ratchet shrugged slightly, though the look of concern in his optics belied his seemingly unconcerned gesture.

"I'm not sure. It depends on whether she experiences anymore stress. It seems that the higher her stress and fear the faster the changes occur. It…we almost lost her," Ratchet admitted quietly. Optimus cursed, drawing a surprised look from Barricade before he returned his attention to his charge.

"I have faith in you old friend. Keep me advised of any changes. We'll check back in later," Optimus said as he placed a hand briefly on the medic's shoulder. Ratchet nodded and watched as Optimus and Elita exited the med bay, Optimus pausing to briefly embrace his mate before leading her out. He vented heavily before turning to Barricade.

"Since I know you'll be watching her, if anything changes and we don't hear the alarms please alert myself or First Aid or Jolt," he said wearily. The ex-Con nodded and watched as Ratchet moved away to return to the monitors, talking quietly to First Aid as a newly returned Jolt adjusted the I.V. lines and the covers over her. He shook his head as he propped himself up against the wall as a dark scowl crossed his face. Sunstreaker was responsible for his charge's current condition. It was something he was going to take out of the mech's frame in strips.


	19. Brie's Observations and Another Fight

**What do you know an update! Creative writing has been...well killing my creative writing lol. I'm trying to sneak in time to work on this between working on it and math. Hope you enjoy this!**

The sound of the machines that were hooked up to Brie were the only sounds filling the med bay. All Brie could do was float in the warm darkness that the medication being pumped into her was cradling her in. She felt more like herself at that moment than she had in the last two years.

She was dying; she knew this and had made her peace with it. What she hadn't accepted, still didn't want to accept, was that she was merely leaving one life for another. Once the changes that were wracking her form currently were complete Brianna Thorne, human female, would be gone. In her place would be Brianna Thorne, new Cybertronian femme, and that was something she was trying to remain in denial about. While most females would love to have this chance, several from her former group coming to mind, she didn't. All she wanted was the peace she had longed for since the day she had been first subjected to the horrors of Scalpel's insane yet successful experiments.

She seemed to be hovering over the rapidly changing shell of her body, unaffected by the pain that she could see visibly wracking the fragile form below her. She watched as Ratchet moved to swap out various lines of fluids for others as First Aid and Jolt scrambled to help. Off to the side Barricade watched silently, seemingly unconcerned. On the outside it appeared that the ex-Con didn't care if the girl lived or died. Only the look in his optics, which were a darker shade of red than usual, and the way his body was held stiffly put to rest that observation.

Brie was dimly aware of the screams that were echoing throughout the room, but found that despite the fact that they were obviously coming from her rapidly changing form she could care less. She sighed as she watched the process, Ratchet at one point manually opening the newly formed chest plates to reach the pale, barely flickering spark. Why couldn't they, why wouldn't they, simply let her go?

She was brought out of her observations with a sharp jolt, suddenly realizing that she was now able to feel Ratchet's hands in her chest. She tried to scream, panicking even more at the odd high pitched electronic whines as she attempted to move her unfamiliar heavy arms to push at the medic. She didn't want this damn it!

"Brie calm down! You're safe," Ratchet said as he removed his hands. Underneath his watchful optics the spark began to hum steadily as it settled and he felt it was stable enough to close her chest plates and step back.

Barricade felt himself slowly beginning to relax as Brie fell silent and Ratchet stepped back. He was surprised at just how rapidly the changes had completed themselves, though he was relieved. He had hated seeing the girl in so much pain. A sudden knocking on the med bay door made the mech realize that Ratchet had obviously locked the door after Optimus left. A sudden scowl crossed the medic's face as he received an obviously unwanted com.

"Fragging…Jolt help me move her back into one of the private rooms. Apparently Jazz and Sideswipe got into a fight," he growled. Jolt nodded as First Aid began to clear the way. Barricade watched the two mechs gently ease the still sensitive femme between them and shuffle towards the back of the med bay, where the rooms for the more critically injured 'Bots were.

"Barricade, get your aft back here!" Ratchet hollered when he realized that the mech hadn't moved. The ex-Con smirked as he pushed away from the wall and moved after them. Given the fact that Frenzy was still lurking about the base learning things that they would need to ensure their somewhat peaceful stay he figured he could always get details of the incident from him later. He was quite curious as to what had started the fight between the saboteur and the frontliner in the first place.

Frenzy crept quietly through the shadows, a small smirk on his face. He had trailed after Ironhide to make sure that the golden twin actually made it to the brig. As soon as the weapons specialist had shoved the livid Sunstreaker inside and slammed the door closed Frenzy turned to leave and head back to the med bay. He had learned a few things about how the base operated to ensure that he and Barricade wouldn't have too much trouble as they protected their charge.

As he moved past the rec room, he paused. Something told him to wait as he watched Sideswipe roll into the room moodily. Frenzy saw him moving towards Jazz, who was sitting with a cube of Energon in his hand as he chatted with Mirage and the little spy realized that something was about to go down. He cackled quietly as he slipped into the room and remained in the shadows. He had seen both mechs in action before. Who would come out on top should they get into an actual fight?

"Hey Jazz! Got a question for you," Sideswipe called out as he rolled over to the table. Jazz turned towards him expectantly, taking a drink even as he kept his watchful optics on the silver mech. Just because Sideswipe appeared to be in a good mood it didn't necessarily mean that he was. Sometimes the mech was just as good at putting on an appearance as he was.

"Fire away Sides," he replied. Sideswipe crossed his arms over his chest, his good mood falling away as annoyance took its place.

"What's the deal with the human femme? This is the second time Sunny's been sent to the brig because of her. I understand that she's been through a lot but why are her needs more important than the needs of ours and our comrades?" he asked. Jazz set the cube down, fixing a suddenly piercing gaze on the other mech.

"Ah didn' know he was back in tha brig. What'd he do now?" he asked. Sideswipe scowled.

"What makes you automatically assume he did something?" he growled. Jazz smirked slightly.

"'Cause he's Sunny," was his reply. Sideswipe's optics narrowed.

"Ok so he went into the med bay looking for Ratchet. How was he to know that the femme was unstable? Better yet why is that pit-spawned 'Con allowed to roam around the base?" he snapped. Jazz stood smoothly, all traces of amusement gone. He had thought Sideswipe was the more rational of the two twins; apparently when it came to Barricade all rational thought left the building, as the humans said.

"He's tha girl's guardian. He knows more 'bout what tha 'Cons did ta her than we do," he growled in response. Sideswipe snorted.

"Anyone of us would make a better guardian for the femme…well except for Sunny," the silver mech replied after a moment. Jazz shook his head.

"So yer questionin' Optimus' orders now? Do Ah need ta escort ya back ta his office for another talk?" he asked coolly. Sideswipe suddenly reached out and shoved the small saboteur, sending his crashing through the table. Immediately all humans scattered as Mirage moved to grab a now livid Jazz even as Bulkhead moved towards Sideswipe.

"It seems to me that you're awfully concerned about the human Jazz. Was Sunny right after all? Is she your pet?" he purred. Jazz broke free of Mirage's grasp and tackled Sideswipe to the ground, his fist smashing into the frontliner's face. He was quickly thrown off as Sideswipe rolled to his feet, his optics glittering dangerously.

"Tha femme is no one's pet! What's gotten into ya Sides? Ah thought ya were tha more rational one. Didn' know ya were holdin' a secret prejudice against humans," he snarled. Sideswipe growled as they stared at each other, each looking for just the right moment to attack.

"I have no problems with the humans. I DO have a problem with how everybot seems to be jumping to protect one single human femme! I can't even get any straight answers about her!" Sideswipe snapped. Jazz said nothing, optics narrowed. Frenzy was forced to move quickly as the saboteur suddenly moved, driving Sideswipe into the wall. Sideswipe immediately retaliated with a fist to Jazz's helm and it soon degenerated into an all-out brawl, with mechs attempting to separate the two Autobots with no success.

"WHAT IN THE PIT IS GOING ON HERE?" the roar of Ironhide's voice rose out over the sounds of the fight as he stalked into the room and headed into the middle of the battle. This time, Mirage and Bumblebee were able to grab Jazz even as Ironhide manhandled Sideswipe into a position where Bulkhead could easily grab him. Prowl stormed into the room, doorwings held stiffly in an indication as to how livid he was, closely followed by Optimus.

"Explain yourself," Prowl said coldly as he glanced from a sullen Sideswipe to a still seething Jazz and back. Neither mech attempted to answer and the SIC's anger only grew.

"Jazz, what happened?" Optimus' voice was cool but underneath it laid a hint of steel and his own anger over the situation. Jazz wiped at a bit of Energon that was trickling from the side of his mouth as he answered.

"Sides here came in wantin' answers 'bout tha femme. He didn' like tha answers he got," he said. Optimus looked to Sideswipe, who ignored his own injuries as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"All I wanted to know is why the 'Con is allowed to wander free. I have no problem with the femme. I'd like to know more about her. I do have a problem with letting a known Decepticon spy have free reign around the base," Sideswipe said coolly. Optimus' optics narrowed a sure sign that he was rapidly losing his legendary patience with his orders continuously being questioned but when he answered his voice was as smooth as always.

"I thought I made things clear in my office Sideswipe. Your brother has already upset the femme to the point where the changes are occurring faster than Ratchet can contend with," he began. He shot a brief glance to Will and Epps, who looked stricken, before continuing.

"Barricade has been protecting the girl since she was put into Megatron's group of pets. Megatron himself assigned him to keep a close eye on her. We know that the Decepticons are attempting to create more females of our kind for breeding purposes. This young girl was caught up in the middle and does not deserve what she is going through right now. She is comfortable with Barricade. That is why he is 'allowed' to move through the base," he finished sternly. Sideswipe remained silent, processing his words. In his anger over what he saw was Sunny's unfair punishment he had failed to think about what the girl was going through. He vented heavily as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry Optimus I didn't realize…" his voice trailed off as Jazz snorted.

"Ya know how ta think?" he muttered. He closed his mouth at a stern glare from Prowl and ignored the growl he received from Sideswipe as Optimus glanced between the two thoughtfully.

"Jazz, perhaps you and Sideswipe should spend some time with the girl. It will let you both begin to understand exactly how she is feeling," he said. Prowl's doorwings twitched in surprise.

"Are you sure that's a wise idea Optimus? Given how Sideswipe here feels about Barricade…" Prowl's voice trailed off as Prime nodded firmly.

"Barricade is the girl's guardian and as such Sideswipe will have to get used to the situation," he replied. A brief mutinous expression flashed in Sideswipe's optics, quickly disappearing before either Prowl or Optimus could see it.

"Is there any word on the girl?" Ironhide asked gruffly. Optimus' optics dimmed slightly then brightened.

"I've commed Ratchet about the fight. He wants the two brought in now. I'll check on her status while I'm there," he said.

"If we let you go do you two promise to behave?" Prowl asked sternly. Both mechs nodded and each was released, with the other mechs tense in case they needed to be grabbed again. Instead each ignored the other as they started for the door, Optimus and the others directly behind them.

No one saw when Frenzy scrambled out of the door just ahead of them, rushing down the shadows in the hallway to the med bay. He commed Barricade, both to let him know they were coming and to check on the girl's condition. Barricade's news had him running even faster.

**::The girl has changed and is resting comfortably in another room.::**


	20. Lies and Answers

**Usually I like to wait until I have at least 2-3 chapters prewritten but decided to post this one anyways =) Not sure when the next one will be out I'm slacking off on homework to work on this ;) enjoy!**

Starscream wasn't a happy mech. After Primus only knew how long of searching they had yet to find the Autobot base. He landed beside another ruined town and transformed, kicking angrily at a building as Thundercracker and Skywarp landed and transformed as well. They remained silent, knowing that Starscream's patience, what little he had, was at an end. He was like Megatron in the respect that he wouldn't hesitate to take his frustrations out on another mech and neither Seeker wanted to be that mech.

They watched as their leader suddenly stiffened, his optics going dark as he received an obviously unwanted and unpleasant com. Judging by the way his claws curled up and the dark snarl that etched his lips it was from Megatron. His next words confirmed their suspicions.

"Megatron wishes for us to return. Apparently there's trouble with the other humans and he needs our help to squash it," he sneered. Thundercracker and Skywarp exchanged confused looks. Megatron was fully capable of stopping a rebellion with one claw. So why was he asking for their help?

"Don't ask me that's what our illustrious 'leader' said," he added with an annoyed growl. Shrugging, the two Seekers transformed and took off, never once noticing that Starscream wasn't following. Once they were out of sight the Decepticon vented heavily.

"I'll let them take the fall for our failure. Meanwhile I'll keep searching. That fragging base has to be here somewhere," he growled to himself. He transformed and took off in the other direction from his Trine mates once again in search of the elusive Autobot base. He would find it, snag the female and take out the Autobots all in one fell swoop!

When Jazz and Sideswipe stepped into the med bay they were each immediately nailed by a wrench. Both mechs dropped to the ground, groaning, as Ratchet stalked over to stand above them. He took one look at their injuries and rolled his optics as First Aid and Jolt helped the stunned mechs to their feet.

"Lay the slaggers on a berth while I find out what their afts got into," Ratchet snapped. The two apprentice medics did as instructed as Ratchet turned to Optimus and Prowl. He caught sight of Will and Epps and knew that they were worried about the girl.

"We're not sure what happened," Prowl said coolly.

"I only wanted to know why Sunny was in the brig again and why the 'Con was allowed to run free to do as he wished," Sideswipe growled as Jolt began to work out some of the dents along his armor. Ratchet's optics narrowed.

"So you got into a fight with Jazz over something that you should have asked me about?" he snapped. Sideswipe glared at the small saboteur, who glared right back.

"To answer your question about Sunny he was in here terrorizing the girl while she was in pain. If Barricade hadn't come in and pushed him away we most likely would have lost Brie. We almost did anyways," the medic growled the last part so soft as to be almost inaudible. It was enough to have all four mechs that hadn't been present staring in horror as the two humans looked up expectantly. They knew Ratchet had said something that none of the mechs had expected to hear and they wanted to know what it was.

"Is…she ok?" Optimus finally asked, not wanting to com Elita until he knew what to tell her. Ratchet vented wearily as First Aid worked on a stunned Jazz.

"She made the change but…her spark nearly stopped. I managed to keep it going until it stabilized. We moved her to a private room to allow her to rest and recover," he finally said. Will and Epps tapped impatiently on his foot and Ratchet glanced down, faintly surprised to realize that he had forgotten about their presence.

"When can we see her?" Will asked. Ratchet thought for a moment.

"At the moment she is offline and once she comes online she's going to be disoriented and understandably scared. Once we have managed to help her adjust some I'll bring you to her," he said. Will nodded and turned towards the door, Epps following.

"Can I tell Sam and Mikaela? They're both worried," Will called out. Epps looked back and Ratchet nodded.

"Just be sure to tell them in a private area. The less humans that know about this the better," he replied. The two men nodded and exited the room, leaving the Autobots in silence.

"Ah'm assumin' 'Cade is with her?" Jazz said calmly. Ratchet nodded, glaring as Sideswipe made an instant move to get up.

"He is. He was here during the entire process. He has a strong bond with the girl," he replied. His eyes caught the slight movement of Frenzy as he crept back towards the room and moved slightly to keep Sideswipe from seeing. If he knew that the small mech was out roaming now he would blow a gasket and end up having to be sedated.

"That's what I'm talking about! You're letting a slagging 'Con watch over a defenseless femme instead of one of us! How do we know he's not going to take her back to Megatron?" Sideswipe snapped. He yelped as Ratchet moved and wacked him upside the helm again.

"She trusts him you glitch! What am I supposed to do? Stick someone who she doesn't know or trust in with her when she's at her most vulnerable?" he snarled. Sideswipe settled down mumbling, rubbing at the new dent he now sported in his helm. Satisfied that he had made his point, at least temporarily, he turned his attention back to Optimus and Prowl.

"I need for Sunstreaker to be kept away from my med bay until Brie is out of danger and on the mend," he said firmly. Optimus and Prowl nodded.

"What if he needs treatment? What about me?" Sideswipe whined, quickly ducking the wrench that was swung his way again. Jazz rolled his optics, muttering something about spoiled sparklings and earning himself an unamused growl from the frontliner.

"One of us will come to him if he needs medical treatment. Under no circumstances unless it's life or death is he to be anywhere near here until further notice! As for you Sideswipe, if you can manage to behave yourself in the presence of Barricade then I'll see you here," Ratchet replied. Sideswipe mumbled something but offered no audible response and Ratchet shook his head.

"All right Jazz you're all set," First Aid said as he stepped back. The small mech slid off the berth and stretched before looking at Ratchet expectantly. Ratchet immediately knew what he wanted.

"I'll com you when she can have visitors," he said firmly. Jazz visibly deflated and Optimus had to hide his smile at the sight.

"All set Sideswipe," Jolt said. The mech slid to his feet and Jazz eyed him warily. Ratchet brandished his wrench threateningly.

"Let's go you two. Sideswipe you can join your brother in his cell. Jazz, you'll be in one further down," Prowl said, his tone clearly warning that he would accept no argument. Jazz merely saluted cheekily before stepping out of the med bay, allowing Mirage to follow him to the brig. Sideswipe hesitated a moment longer but at another dark glare from the medic wheeled from the room, avoiding Ironhide as he tried to grab him and making his way down the hallway to the brig as Prowl followed after them. Optimus pinched the bridge of his nose before meeting Ratchet's gaze.

"I'll tell Elita to wait for your com," he said. Ratchet nodded and watched as the Autobot leader left the med bay before palming the door closed and locking it.

"You two are in charge of any other minor emergencies that might come up. I'm going to be with Brie," he said firmly.

"We'll be listening in case you need us," First Aid responded. Giving an abrupt nod Ratchet began to make his way to the private room where Brie was resting. He could only hope that she wouldn't be too traumatized when she onlined. He didn't think her new spark would be able to withstand the stress if she overheated.

Brie's optics slowly onlined and she was startled at the clear view of the unfamiliar ceiling above her. A series of clicks and whistles escaped, drawing the attention of Barricade away from Frenzy. He had laughed when Frenzy had shown him the fight, though the reason behind it annoyed him. It appeared that they would have to keep a close eye on both of the terror twins.

He clicked softly as he moved forward, catching Brie's attention. She turned her head towards him and the confusion and panic he saw in her optics tore at his spark. She was small, her form still changing and growing, and he knew that she had to be overwhelmed by the sudden flood of information being fed to her.

"Everything's ok femme the medic will be here shortly," he said gruffly as he came to stand beside the berth, touching her hand briefly in reassurance. He could see the question in her optics and once again cursed Scalpel. When he got his hands on that little sorry piece of scrap metal there would be nothing left of him. The door slid open during his inner rant and he turned slightly, tensing to prepare the vulnerable femme. He relaxed as he saw that it was Ratchet and moved back to allow the medic room to examine Brie.

"Hello Brie I'm glad to see you online," he said soothingly as he performed a scan. Her frame was still growing, but otherwise the changes were complete. He saw the mounting fear and frustration and vented softly.

"I know this is frightening but you have to trust me…trust Barricade. We won't allow any more harm to come to you," he said soothingly. Brie's optics turned to Barricade, who was stationed near the door. He smirked at her slightly and nodded and she found herself relaxing as she turned her attention back to Ratchet, who smiled reassuringly.

"Now, I want you to focus and concentrate on speaking. I know you can do it," he said. Brie clicked and immediately looked frustrated. Ratchet gave her an encouraging look and Brie shuttered her optics before trying again.

"Why…did you…save me?" she finally asked. Both mechs were surprised by her words.

"I don't understand," Ratchet finally said. Brie struggled to sit up, finally managing it with Ratchet's help as she pinned Ratchet underneath a very impressive glare.

"Why did you save me? Why didn't you let me go?" she asked again, her words coming faster and more clear as she quickly got a grasp on her speaking abilities. Ratchet's optics narrowed.

"Are you saying that I should have let you go?" he asked his voice little more than a growl. Barricade moved forward, placing a heavy hand on the medic's shoulder and Ratchet vented huffily as he forced his anger at the thought of what she was asking down.

"I was at peace for the first time in two years. I…I can't do this Ratchet. I don't know how!" she said as her optics began to water. Ratchet immediately looked concerned and scanned her, finding no reason for the Energon tears.

"If you were truly serious about remaining offline femme you wouldn't have allowed your spark to strengthen," Barricade pointed out coolly. Brie fell silent at his words and realized that he was right. She hadn't wanted to die. There was still so much she had wanted to do.

"I just want to be normal," she said miserably. Ratchet shook off Barricade's hand and took the young girl's hand in his own, his optics locking onto hers as he spoke.

"You are normal Brie. I know you didn't want this. I hate that this happened to you. But there's nothing we can do about it now. Let us help you. I think you'll find that after a little adjustment period you will grow to love your new life," he said earnestly. Brie nodded slightly and the medic smiled as he gently squeezed her hand.

"Now…let's get started. First order of business is learning to walk," he said firmly. Brie stared at him in horror before glancing to Barricade for help. She vented softly at the no nonsense look in his optics.

"All right let the embarrassment of me commence," she mumbled. She allowed him to help her to her feet then yelped as she immediately pitched forward, her face banging into his chest with a load clang. She groaned softly. This was going to be a nightmare.


	21. Adapting

**Yay for updates LOL! I'm still attempting to work on the next few chapters but I figured you had waited long enough for this one. Not to mention I'm totally annoyed with my Creative writing class so I needed something...creative to write for a change lol. Enjoy!**

"No!" Brie's voice rang out in the room the next day as she sat on the berth. She had her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face as she glared from Ratchet to Barricade and back. Both mechs were simply watching her and Brie vented harshly.

"So you're a quitter femme? Maybe I should leave. I can't be bothered wasting my time on a quitter," Barricade growled as he turned towards the door. Brie immediately was off the berth and staggering towards him, her panic over losing her guardian driving her forward. He turned and caught her just as she began to fall and hauled her to her feet and steadied her, a small knowing smirk on his face. Ratchet laughed.

"I have to say Barricade you do know the right way to inspire her," he said as he shook his head. Brie shot the medic an unamused look as she forced herself to remain standing.

"That was a dirty trick 'Cade," she growled. Barricade's smirk merely grew.

"It worked didn't it?" he replied. Brie shot the cackling Frenzy a glare before she tilted her head up slightly and turned to stalk back to the berth. Unfortunately she turned too fast and stumbled and only the quick reflexes of the ex-Con kept her from falling on her face.

"Slag it I'll never get the hang of this!" she wailed as she felt Energon tears well up in her optics again. Barricade's voice was surprisingly gentle as he spoke.

"Yes you will femme. It just takes a little time," he said. Ratchet nodded.

"I know it's hard but once you gain your sense of balance you shouldn't have any more problems," he added. Brie nodded as she wiped shakily at her optics and gathered up her courage. She stepped forward slightly then paused, allowing herself to adjust to the movement. Another small step and she felt herself adjusting quicker. A few more and a smile proud smile crossed her face. She was beginning to get the hang of it.

"That's it Brie you're doing great," Ratchet encouraged as the two mechs watched her walk the room in small tiny steps. She finally made it back to the berth and slowly turned, her optics gleaming with triumph. Barricade smirked and Frenzy clapped energetically.

"That was good femme. Now let's see you walk around the room again," he challenged. Brie scowled but pushed away from the berth, taking tiny steps. The more she walked the more confident she grew and her steps grew bigger until she was walking with somewhat of a normal step again as she obediently circled the room. She came to rest again in front of the berth and waited silently. Both Barricade and Ratchet nodded in approval.

"Next step is getting you an alt form," the medic said. Brie frowned slightly.

"Isn't it too soon? I mean I've only just mastered walking…well somewhat," she replied as she swayed slightly before taking a seat back on the berth. Barricade smirked as Frenzy laughed, drawing an even bigger frown from Brie.

"Brie right now you're in your protoform so you're…" Ratchet's voice trailed off as he tried to think of the best way to tell her. Barricade of course got straight to the point.

"If you were still human you'd be naked," he said bluntly. Brie's eyes widened and she shrieked, causing the three mechs to flinch as she attempted to cover herself.

"I'm naked? You've been watching me walk around NAKED?" she screeched. Sudden warmth shot through her and her optics widened as she felt herself shrinking until she finally stood as a human again, fully clothed. She blinked up at Ratchet and Barricade, who both looked stunned as Frenzy wandered over to her.

"Did you know she could do that?" Barricade asked as he turned to Ratchet. The medic shook his head as he ran a scan over the confused young femme.

"No but…it makes sense in a way. She was human so it figures she would revert to her human state when upset. She will still have to have an alt mode though," he replied with a frown. Brie waved her hands in the air, catching his attention.

"So when I get upset I can become human again? Can't I just stay like this?" she begged. Ratchet reluctantly shook his head.

"You will never learn to adjust to your new life if you do. I need you to transform back while I have Major Lennox and Sargent Epps bring in some of the vehicles they had gotten before you changed," he replied firmly. Brie crossed her arms over her chest and fixed a stubborn look on her face.

"I don't know how and even if I did I don't want to. I feel almost normal again!" she shot back. Ratchet pinched the bridge of his nose and cursed softly as Barricade glared at the young girl. In the meantime Frenzy had reached her and was poking her gently, earning himself a swat and a hissed 'stop that!' for his troubles.

"All you have to do is picture your Cybertronian form and the rest will occur on its own," Ratchet explained in a somewhat testy voice. Brie merely glared at him.

"I don't want to," she replied sullenly. She let out a small 'eep' as Barricade suddenly loomed over her, his glare deepening.

"Femme you will to do as the medic says. I'm your guardian and even I know that remaining in that form will only hinder your recovery, not help. You are Cybertronian now and you need to accept that!" he growled. Ratchet shot the ex-Con a look but was surprised when Brie glared at the mech before suddenly transforming back. She crossed her arms over her chest plates with a sullen and distinctly unhappy look on her face as she turned her optics away.

"Better?" she snapped. Barricade rolled his optics as Ratchet muttered something about stubborn femmes but made no other comment. His optics dimmed slightly as he received a com then brightened again.

"That was Optimus; Major Lennox and Sargent Epps have the vehicles in the room next to the med bay. No one will see you until you have your alt form scanned," he said. Brie remained silent, knowing that it would do no good to argue. She stood from the berth, pausing a moment to allow herself to get balanced before moving towards the door after Ratchet. Once she stepped out into the main med bay she paused, shivering as she glanced around quickly. Barricade spoke from behind her.

"No other mech is around Brie. Optimus has ordered everyone to stay away for now," he said.

"The humans have been advised to stay away as well. No one will see you until I'm ready for them to," Ratchet added. Brie said nothing; still feeling like this was a bad idea. She followed him out into the hallway and into the spacious room next door, glad for Barricade's menacing presence behind her. If he hadn't been there then there was no way in hell she would be going anywhere outside of med bay. Barricade stopped as he caught sight of the cars and made a soft sound of agreement. The humans had a good idea when it came to cars. There were plenty here that would fit Brie's new frame. The problem was getting her to choose and scan one.

Brie was silent as she ran her optics over the assorted vehicles. Time and time again they came to rest on a sporty looking Porsche 911 Turbo S that was colored a dark purple and she vented softly. Ratchet seemed to notice where her attention was and smiled as he nodded in approval.

"A very nice choice Brie, don't you think Barricade?" Ratchet asked as he drew the mech's attention to the vehicle Brie was eyeing. He stepped forward and studied it with a critical eye, nodding his approval.

"It's sleek, sporty and speedy. Perfect for her," he said firmly. Ratchet turned to Brie, who looked uncertain.

"I want you to concentrate Brie as you look it over. Your sensors will automatically scan it," he said. Brie said nothing as she did so and the scanning was so subtle for a moment she felt as if nothing had happened. A second later she was transforming and she found herself as a sleek deep purple Porsche.

"You did great Brie! Now, concentrate on transforming back," Ratchet encouraged. Brie wasn't so sure about his words but did as instructed and moments later she was back in her base form, now covered in deep purple armor that concealed her protoform from outside eyes. She studied herself briefly. She hated to admit it but she didn't look too bad in that color.

"Ok so now what?" she finally asked as she glanced from Ratchet to Barricade. The medic seemed to study her before speaking.

"Now you go back to med bay and have some Energon. You need to recharge a bit more before I turn you loose on the unsuspecting mechs," he said. Brie flinched at his words. The last thing she wanted was to be thrust into a social situation so soon. Seeing her movement, Barricade vented softly.

"I'll be there to protect you femme, don't worry. Besides, do you really think Prime or his mate will allow any harm to come to you? I'm sure once he knows you're ready to come out he'll have a talk with his Autobots about how to treat you," he growled. Brie turned to face him quickly, slightly proud of the fact that she was able to do so now without falling.

"I don't want that though 'Cade! I hate being the center of attention! You know no good comes of it!" she whimpered. Ratchet placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as he began to gently steer her out of the room and back towards med bay.

"How about I let a few of your friends come see you first? Perhaps Sam and Mikaela, maybe even Major Lennox and Sargent Epps? I know Jazz has been worried about you," he said quietly. Brie nodded slightly as her panic faded away. She missed talking to Sam and Mikaela and Epps never failed to make her laugh. Jazz…her thoughts were confused when it came to him. She shrugged slightly. He had been one of the first mechs to befriend her. It was only right that he be one of the first to actually get to see her. Well…outside of Optimus and Elita.

"All right," she agreed and Ratchet smiled as they entered the med bay. He shot Barricade a look, who nodded slightly. As long as both of them were there Brie had nothing to fear.

"Hey Sunny?" Sideswipe asked suddenly as he gazed at his twin reclining on the berth in their cell. The golden twin shot him a glare but didn't bother correcting him on the name.

"What?" he finally growled when the other mech showed no signs of speaking up.

"Do you think you can get us out of here?" he asked. Sunstreaker rolled off the berth and to his feet, eyeing his twin suspiciously. A few cells down Jazz listened carefully. Whatever those two were up to he had a feeling that no good would come from it.

"Why?" Sunstreaker finally asked. Sideswipe was quiet for a moment.

"Because I want to see the femme. I…she almost died Sunny. I want to make sure she's ok," he finally replied. Sunstreaker's optics narrowed slightly.

"The femme almost died? Did she actually change like that 'Con was trying to tell us?" he asked in disbelief. Sideswipe nodded.

"From what Ratchet said it went pretty quick. He didn't say what happened exactly, only that she nearly offlined," he replied. Sunstreaker vented softly as a sharp pang of shame went through him. He might not have much use for squishies but it didn't mean that he necessarily wanted them to die. Despite his ice cold and seemingly uncaring exterior deep inside he did have feelings. If half of what the ex-Con said was true then the femme didn't deserve the fear he had put her through.

"Slag it! What did I Sides?" he asked in disgust. Since when did he terrorize innocent helpless females? Jazz started to open his mouth but closed it again. He didn't want to antagonize the frontliner when he was actually showing signs of caring about someone besides himself and his brother.

"We'll just have to talk to her. Hence my asking if you could get us out of here," Sideswipe said firmly. Sunstreaker grunted as he turned his attention to the control panel just outside of the bars. He may not be Jazz but he knew how to get out of this place just as easily as he did. The golden mech paused for a moment with a scowl. He owed that little mech a little payback and he would get it. He just had other important matters to deal with at the moment.

Jazz easily made short work of his own cell controls and slipped out, making his way down the opposite end of the hall so as not to allow the twins to know he was out. A frown was etched on his face as he recalled what he had overheard. It sounded as if Sunstreaker actually was…sorry for what he had done. The saboteur snorted softly and shook his head as he exited the brig via another entrance and made his way stealthily to the med bay. Sunny, sorry? That was a laugh. Despite his words there was no way in the pit Jazz was going to allow either of those glitches near the femme. She had been traumatized by the golden frontliner enough and Jazz was going to make sure that it didn't happen again; and that meant that he needed to have a nice long talk with Barricade.


	22. Continued Searches and Meeting Brie

**_Here's another chapter for you! I hope the next chapter will be up soon but again writer's block due to my 'creative writing' class is playing mind games with me. In the meantime I hope you enjoy this chapter =)_**

::That was a dirty trick 'Screamer!:: Thundercracker's voice was dark with anger as he and Skywarp finally caught up with their Trine leader. They had been halfway back to the Decepticon base when they realized that Starscream hadn't followed them. They had immediately turned around with a curse. If he thought that they were going to go back and get slagged by Megatron for his failures then he was truly glitched!

Starscream scowled as the pair caught up to him. Slag it he should have known that they would figure out his little trick! He vented in irritation as he continued to scan the countryside and mountains. It didn't matter. He could actually use their help.

**::Forget about that Thundercracker…and don't CALL me that! Just help me look for the fragging Autobot base!::** he snarled. There was no further communication between the three Seekers. Time was running out and they needed to find some clue as to the girl's whereabouts before it was too late. Primus help them if Megatron decided to take over the search himself.

Megatron drummed his fingers against the arm of the throne slowly as he listened to Scalpel and Knock Out's newest reports. Some of the other females were in the process of changing, which was good news. The bad news was that they were all damaged in some way. None of them were retaining their personalities from their previous lives and Megatron snarled softly. It was just another sign that the girl Brie was more important than they realized.

"Test them again once the changes are complete. I will decide on what to do with them then," he finally growled. Knock Out bowed and quickly followed as Scalpel scurried out the door, leaving the Decepticon leader alone with his thoughts.

_'They are defective. Perhaps they will have enough sense to be able to tend to the Sparklings. Though I am concerned about how the Sparklings themselves will turn out,'_ he mused. He stood and began to pace, something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. With Starscream still out 'looking' he had no other way to relieve his anxiety and stress.

_'Perhaps it is time I joined the search,'_ he thought. Turning, he exited the room to head down to communications, where Soundwave was still diligently searching for either Barricade or keeping an eye on Starscream. Megatron wasn't holding onto any hope of finding the traitor. He was damn good at being stealthy, which had made him the perfect scout. It was too bad that Megatron hadn't realized exactly how good he was.

Shaking his head, he continued his way down the hall. If he managed to get ahold of Barricade that was fine. If not, that was fine as well. As long as he got the girl back into his possession nothing else mattered. She was the key to restoring their race and he'd be slagged if he let some pit-spawned Autobot be the one to mate with her.

Brie fidgeted nervously on the berth as she waited for Optimus and Elita. She had asked that they be the first ones to see her and Ratchet had agreed. Barricade was stationed across the room, seemingly at ease. Only the way his optics remained locked on the door and the way Frenzy remained underneath the berth on alert gave any indication as to just how prepared he was to defend his charge.

The door opened and Brie stiffened as her fidgeting growing worse as her fears grew. What if they didn't like her? What if they decided to make her leave? Where would she go? The sound of footsteps moving inside broke through her panicked thoughts and she forced herself to raise her head to meet the optics of Optimus and Elita. For several moments no one moved or spoke and just as Brie was about to ask about her future Elita moved towards her in a blur and wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh Brie we were so worried!" she whispered and Brie could hear the unbridled emotion behind her words. She allowed the female to hug her to her, listening as she slipped into whispered Cybertronian, and watched as Optimus approached.

"How are you feeling little one?" he asked gently as he placed a gentle hand on her slender shoulder. Brie simply gazed at him for a moment before attempting to speak.

"I'm…ok. I don't have to leave do I? Because I know I can be useful!" the words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop them and there was a deadly silence. Even Barricade looked startled by her words.

"Why would you think that sweetspark?" Elita asked in an effort to clarify the young femme's fears. She had a feeling she knew what was going on in her processor but wanted to be sure. Optimus in the meantime looked as if he had been whacked upside the helm by one of Ratchet's wrenches.

"I…you liked me when I was human…" her voice trailed off and Elita stepped aside to allow Optimus to kneel before the distraught young female, taking her hand as his optics met hers.

"Brie just because your body has changed it doesn't mean that you have. We liked you for your spirit and your refusal to give up. It was within your right to allow yourself to remain offline. Instead you fought your way back to us. You…are our sparkling now. We would be devastated to lose you," he said his voice a deep soothing rumble. Brie's optics met his and she felt something in herself begin to relax as the truth of his words washed over her. She should have known better than to allow such a silly fear to overtake her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Elita took her other hand and rubbed it soothingly.

"Don't be. You've had a lot to deal with. You were forced to undergo what we're sure were some pretty horrible experiments and yet you managed to escape. You fought to survive and that's all that matters. You're safe here," she replied softly. Brie ducked her head as she shuttered her optics. She didn't know what to say in the face of such overwhelming acceptance and affection.

"Brie, do you feel up to meeting any of your human friends?" Ratchet asked softly. Brie stiffened as anxiety once again coursed through her. Sensing it, Elita gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as Optimus ran a hand gently over her helm in support.

"A-All right," she said, her voice trembling slightly. A few moments later Sam and Mikaela walked in, followed closely by Will and Epps. For a moment no one said anything until suddenly Epps let out a wolf whistle.

"Damn girl you look good!" he grinned. Brie 'blinked' at him as Will laughed and shoved him. Sam and Mikaela laughed as well.

"If I didn't know better I'd say he was flirting with you!" Mikaela smirked. Brie ducked her head but not before the four humans saw the small smile that crossed her lips. From the corner of her eye she saw Barricade's lips twitch slightly, though his face remained as cool and impassive as ever.

"Sorry Epps but I think I'm out of your league," she said suddenly. She was suddenly stricken by her words but at the hearty laughter she received from everyone, including the amused snort from Barricade, she relaxed.

"I think you just got burned Epps!" Sam grinned. Epps made a mock sound of disappointment and Brie couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her. She felt a light tapping on her foot and glanced down to see Mikaela standing by her feet. Seeming to realize what the girl wanted, Optimus knelt down and offered her a hand, waiting until she was stable before lifting her up to where she could see Brie's optics.

"I have to say that color looks good on you," she said softly. Brie felt her face plates heat up, wondering briefly how it was that she felt as if she was blushing, and forced herself to pay attention as her friend lowered her voice to where only she and Optimus and Elita could hear.

"I'm glad you're safe Brie. I know we haven't gotten to spend much time together but…I'd like to think we're friends. If…if you want to be," she finished, a blush of her own coloring her suddenly uncertain face. Brie was startled for a moment. She still wanted to be friends?

"I…I'd like that. It's been so long since I've had a real friend," she replied quietly. Mikaela's face lit up in a smile as did Optimus' and Elita's. Once she was settled into her new life she would find that she would have more friends than she could ever imagine. Elita's lips turned down in a scowl briefly. Well, except for a few more hard headed and obnoxious mechs. Ratchet had opened his mouth to say something when he received a com from Prowl, who was waiting outside the med bay with Jazz. Excusing himself, the medic left the femme to chat with the 'Bots and humans in the room and crossed the empty room to step out into the hall.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the brig still?" Ratchet asked as he eyed the saboteur suspiciously. Jazz gave him his most innocent expression and Prowl vented softly.

"You know as well as I do that once he gets his mind set to it nothing can hold him," he said dryly. Jazz laughed.

"Ah Prowler ya know meh too well! There is somethin' Ah needed ta talk ta ya 'bout," he replied, growing serious. Both mechs waited patiently.

"Ah heard Sides askin' Sunny ta break them out. Somethin' 'bout wantin' ta see tha femme. Ah don' think that's wise," he said. Ratchet immediately stiffened as Prowl's doorwings shot up high in surprise.

"I'll com Ironhide and go check out the brig. Jazz you can stay here. Even though Optimus is in the room I know he'll have to leave soon for us to resume going over strategies," the SIC said. Receiving a nod he turned and strolled down the hallway, the set of his doorwings the only indication of how irritated he was by the twins' newest antics.

"I trust you can get along with Barricade," Ratchet said as he stepped into the room, followed closely by Jazz. The smaller mech nodded with a smirk.

"Considerin' it was meh an' Raj that brought him in Ah would think so," he replied cheekily. Ratchet eyed him for a moment, wondering if this was going to be more trouble than he thought. In the end he shrugged. Barricade would need the help defending the girl, though he wouldn't admit it, and Jazz was well versed in the ways of dealing with the terror twins.

"Wait here I'm going to go talk to Optimus and Barricade," he said firmly. Jazz nodded and turned his back to the door, facing the main entrance to the doorway as he settled into a deceptively casual stance. Any 'Bot that was familiar with his body language knew that just because he looked relaxed it didn't mean that he was. Many mechs had been taken off guard by him when he was in this position, including the twins.

_'Ah don' know what ya two glitches are up ta but Ah'll not let ya hurt tha femme again,'_ he thought with a growl. His visor flashed as he turned up his senses to high alert. If the twins thought that they were going to get through him they had another thing coming. He had gone easy on Sunny that day. This time the golden frontliner wouldn't be so lucky.

Ratchet slipped into the room and approached Optimus, who had been watching for the medic's return. Excusing himself from the now happily chattering humans and Brie, he approached Ratchet and Barricade who was eyeing them both cautiously. Somehow the mech didn't think that this boded well for either him or his charge.

"Jazz of course managed to escape from the brig," Ratchet began. Optimus vented heavily, well used to his TIC's antics as Barricade arched an optic ridge. Had they really expected those cells to hold the crafty saboteur?

"I'm assuming that's not the news you wanted to deliver," Optimus said. Ratchet shook his head and lowered his voice, to keep Brie from overhearing.

"He told Prowl and I that Sideswipe was urging Sunstreaker to break them out. He said that Sideswipe said something about seeing Brie," he said quietly. Barricade stiffened as a small hiss escaped from his lips.

"Those two slaggers are not getting anywhere _near_ her as long as I'm here!" he growled. The sound must have carried because Brie glanced over to them curiously before turning her attention back to Epps, who was pretending to flirt with her and drawing amused laughter from them all. Ratchet reached around and cuffed the ex-Con on the back of the helm, drawing a small smirk from Optimus as Barricade stared at the medic in surprise.

"Quiet! I'm trying to keep her from overhearing!" Ratchet snapped. Barricade muttered something that earned him another glare and aborted swat from Ratchet as the medic continued.

"Jazz is stationed outside of the door. I know you don't need help," Ratchet said quickly when the black and white mech went to protest, "but I would feel better if he was here. Optimus and Elita are needed to go over strategies with Prowl and the humans and Mikaela and Sam need to be safely out of harm's way. I will be around as much as possible but with the way Skids and Mudflap are I'm sure it won't be too long before I'm called to attend to them," he finished dryly.

"What about First Aid or Jolt?" Optimus asked. Ratchet shot him a disbelieving look.

"Optimus even I have trouble with those glitches sometimes. Do you really think they're going to be able to handle them?" he asked. Optimus said nothing, conceding the point. Barricade vented softly.

"Is he going to stay outside or in here?" he asked. Ratchet shrugged.

"I'm assuming outside but he has shown an interest in seeing Brie. He was her unofficial guardian before you arrived," he said. Barricade was quiet for a moment before leaning back against the wall again.

"If there's anyone I trust to 'help' me it's that mech or your noble spy," was all he said as he resumed his seemingly bored pose, though both the Autobot leader and medic was careful to note the way he kept his optics fixed on the doorway. The two mechs turned away as they walked over to Brie. Knowing that there were two mechs guarding her they allowed their guard to relax and interact with the small group around Brie. She had already been exposed to Sunstreaker's attitude more than once and from what Jazz had said Sideswipe wasn't going to be much better. No, the less contact she had with that pair the better.


	23. First Sightings

**Here for your reading pleasure is chapter 23! I'm managing to stay ahead in my classes (so far) so that leaves me a little extra time to dig out the actual creativity that's hiding and work on this some =) Hope you enjoy!  
**

Brie sat on the edge of the berth, her legs swinging idly as she thought about her future. She wasn't human anymore and no matter how hard she wanted to change that fact she couldn't. She was now a Cybertronian femme and that entailed learning things all over again. Being a Cybertronian was certainly different from being a human female.

She glanced down at herself, still unused to her new frame. While she would admit that she did love the deep shade of purple that she was armored in she just didn't feel comfortable yet. She knew that it would take time but she longed for the feeling of a gentle breeze over her skin. Her lips turned down sadly. The one thing she had never had, and she never would, was anything that a young girl wanted. To be held and caressed by a man that loved her.

She slid off the berth and stood, beginning to pace. She knew Barricade and Jazz were right outside her door, standing guard. She assumed Frenzy was in here somewhere but most likely he was in recharge...which is what she was supposed to be doing herself.

Knowing she was too wound up to even stay still much less attempt to recharge, she turned and headed for the door. She was pleased to see that she had walking down already. She had been worried that she would be stumbling around and making a fool of herself. It just went to show how adaptable she could be if she needed to. She opened the door and jumped back slightly as Barricade quickly turned to her, a frown on his face.

"You should be recharging femme," he growled as he turned his attention back to the med bay doors. She noted that Jazz was gone and she wondered where he had gone. As if hearing her unspoken question Barricade spoke again.

"Jazz went to get us some Energon and see if there's any news of the terror Twins," he said. Brie nodded even as a sliver of fear shot through her. While Sideswipe hadn't seemed so bad there was no way in hell she wanted anything to do with his twin.

"I thought they were in the brig," she said quietly as she recalled overhearing something about Jazz and Sideswipe getting into a fight. Barricade snorted derisively.

"When they put their mind to it they can be as crafty as that small pain in the aft saboteur," he replied. Soft laughter sounded from the front of the med bay and Brie was secretly pleased to see that Jazz had returned and was approaching them with the silent grace that he was so well known for.

"Aww ya know ya love meh 'Cade," Jazz snickered as he passed a cube of Energon to him. A soft growl was his response and Jazz gave him a cheeky grin before turning his attention to Brie.

"Ya shouldn' be up Brie," he said, his voice turning slightly stern. Brie fidgeted slightly as she spoke.

"I couldn't sleep…recharge," she said softly. Jazz was silent for a moment as he and Barricade thought over the best solution.

"Is any of the other mechs still up?" Barricade asked suddenly. Jazz shook his head.

"Nah think everyone is either in recharge or on patrol. Should be safe ta let her stretch her legs," he said. Brie's optics lit up and both mechs exchanged a secret satisfied look.

"All right Brie. Jazz you take the front, I'll take the rear," Barricade said. Brie couldn't help the path her thoughts took and despite herself a small giggle escaped her. The two mechs looked puzzled until Jazz's visor brightened in surprise as he grasped her thoughts. He immediately burst out laughing and a moment later Barricade let out a short bark of laughter.

"Glad ta see yer sense of humor makin' an appearance," Jazz smirked as his visor winked off then back on in a wink. Brie ducked her head but he could see the way she had straightened up slightly. It was obvious that she was still unsure of how her words would be taken and he was determined to show her that she had nothing to fear by speaking her mind.

The trio proceeded down the hallway in a line, with Brie flinching slightly at every little noise. Barricade and Jazz drew closer to her, their sensors set on high as their optics scanned the area constantly. Jazz had discovered that the Twins had been released earlier and they had supposedly been seen disappearing into their quarters. Jazz wasn't fooled. They were creeping around somewhere and they sure as pit weren't going to get to Brie without he or Barricade knowing.

They entered the rec room and the two mechs stepped back to allow her to explore. Jazz remembered the first night he had found her in here. She had been so curious about her surroundings. He was glad to see that it was still alive despite her ordeal.

Brie took a hesitant seat on the couch and with a sigh of satisfaction leaned back against it. It was a lot more comfortable than she had expected and she could easily slip into recharge on it. She glanced over to where Jazz and Barricade stood silently by the door and realized just how safe she felt with them.

She frowned as Jazz suddenly stiffened, whipping around to stare out into the hallway as a soft warning growl rumbled in his chest. At the same time Barricade stalked over to her and stationed himself beside the couch as his own optics blazed.

"'C-Cade? What's going on?" she whispered, fear bleeding into her voice. The mech didn't take his attention from the door, though his voice was surprisingly soft and reassuring as he answered her.

"Just some company coming. Jazz is making sure that they're acceptable," he replied. Brie shrank back against the couch and shuttered her optics. She should have known leaving the med bay would be a bad idea.

"Don' worry Brie we won' let nothin' happen ta ya. Ya have as much right ta be here as they do," Jazz added. She opened her mouth to say something but snapped it closed again as Jazz moved in a blur, knocking someone against the wall and drawing a loud snarled curse from the unknown mech. The minute he spoke Brie knew who it was and began to tremble.

"What the slag is your problem Jazz?" Sunstreaker growled as he glared harshly at the small saboteur who had knocked him against the wall so unceremoniously.

"What are ya doin' here Sunny? Yer supposed ta be in yer quarters. Both of ya," he snapped as he glared at the golden frontliner. Sideswipe moved to pull him off Sunstreaker and stopped as he caught sight of movement in the rec room. His head swiveled in that direction and his optics narrowed as he caught sight of Barricade. His optics drifted past him and landed on the cowering female on the couch and he felt his spark sputter momentarily.

Ignoring the sound of his cursing twin as he struggled with Jazz, Sideswipe rolled into the room. He was immediately confronted by a very menacing Barricade and he felt his weapons drop out of subspace.

"Move 'Con," he snarled as he tried to push past him. His snarl deepened as he was shoved back as Barricade moved into a fighting stance.

"You have no business here slagger so I suggest you and your psychotic twin keep moving," Barricade growled.

"I have the right to come in here and get Energon!" he snapped. He tilted his head around the hulking figure of the ex-Con and saw the femme, Brie, peering over the couch with optics that were wide with fear. He frowned at the sight. Was this because of her previous interactions with Sunny? He hadn't done anything to her personally! So why was she looking at him like he was Megatron himself?

"You had your opportunity earlier!" Barricade growled as he shoved the mech back again. Sideswipe let out a low snarl as he prepared to launch himself at the hulking mech before him. Before either could move there was the sound of metal meeting metal and a loud curse from Sunstreaker. A minute later a wrench came sailing into the room to strike Sideswipe in the back of the helm, drawing a curse from him as well.

"Just what is going on?" Ratchet growled as he glared from the snarling golden frontliner, still being held firmly by Jazz, to Sideswipe who was fairly itching to jump Barricade and beat the slag out of him.

"We just came in here to get some Energon and the fraggers attacked us!" Sunstreaker spat out as he glared at the small saboteur who, despite his frame, was more than capable of holding his own against the Twins. They knew he could quite easily beat them if he so chose to under the right circumstances. It was why they never fully got into an all-out fight with him if they could help it. Sparring yes; fighting no. Ratchet glanced to Jazz, who showed no signs of releasing the volatile mech.

"What are you doing out here Brie? You should be in recharge," Ratchet scolded gently, surprising all the mechs. Brie fidgeted slightly. She should have known no good would come from leaving the med bay.

"I couldn't sleep…recharge. I thought a walk might help," she murmured. Ratchet was silent for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Nothing wrong with that; everybot was either supposed to be in recharge or on patrol," the medic said coolly. Sideswipe moved to go stand beside his Twin, his features as cool and expressionless as Sunstreaker's.

"Since when are we banned from the rec room? Isn't it for anybot or squishy to use?" Sunstreaker asked coolly. Brie quickly stood, moving to stand behind Barricade as she spoke quietly.

"It's ok Ratchet I think I can rest now," she whispered as she kept her optics on the floor. The last thing she wanted was to be the cause of another fight.

Sunstreaker managed to subtly move so he could catch a better look at the former human turned Cybertronian. His optics gleamed with appreciation as he took in her appearance. She was rather attractive. Perhaps he had been wrong in his treatment of her. He watched the way she fidgeted and felt shame slam through him. Since when did he terrorize innocent femmes, whether they be human or Cybertronian? It made him no better than a Decepticon.

"I…wish to apologize to the femme," he said gruffly. The mechs present, including his twin, were floored. They had never heard Sunstreaker voluntarily want to apologize to anyone for anything. Brie peered out from behind Barricade, her optics wide and surprised.

"I…" words failed her as she stared at Sunstreaker. Judging by the shocked silence around her it was apparent that those were words that the mech never uttered. She watched his optics lock onto hers and the genuine remorse she saw in them, so out of character from what his reputation spoke of, made her spark flutter briefly. No one had every apologized to her for anything before.

"Brie, I had no right to scare you. I should have considered what you had been through. I'm…sorry," Sunstreaker finally muttered. She heard Ratchet make a choked sound and a quick glance showed that he was staring at Sunstreaker as if he had grown a second head.

"Are you just saying this because I'm not a 'squishy' now?" she asked suspiciously. Sunstreaker was silent for a moment before venting softly.

"This is something I should have done before," he replied evasively. Brie hesitated, knowing that if she had been human he would simply be snarling and terrorizing her still. In the end her hidden kind nature came to the front and she fidgeted again before speaking.

"Apology accepted…Sunstreaker," she murmured. She missed the way his frame relaxed slightly at her words and he shared a smug look with Sideswipe. Now with his apology out of the way maybe she would be willing to allow them to get close to her. As if sensing their thoughts, Barricade growled and Jazz's optics narrowed behind his visor. Ratchet sensed the tension in the air and decided it was time to intervene before another fight broke out.

"Come on Brie I'm sure you can rest now," he said. He watched the way Barricade moved forward and Jazz moved behind Brie, both mechs drawing close to keep her protected. The procession moved out of the room and down the hall to the med bay. Ratchet turned to the Twins, who was watching the scene silently with matching scowls and waved a wrench threateningly to get their attention before speaking.

"You two stay away from her. She has enough to adjust to without you two glitches causing trouble!" he snarled. He turned and stalked down the hallway and the two mechs watched as he disappeared before turning and smirking at each other as they exchanged one thought.

_'They don't know who they're messing with.'_


	24. Megatron Schemes As Tensions Rise

**Yes another chapter for you! Wow 202 reviews you guys rock! It does good things for my ego to see that so many people like this story LOL! Thank you all and thank you for the follows and favorites!**

**My 201 reviewer Gaia Kame brought up some good points. Brie has been through a lot. Sunny is...Sunny. While he may have apologized I don't think he'll ever be able to see her as anything but a former 'squishy'. He may learn to be somewhat friendly but will never see her in a romantic light. He just wouldn't be Sunny. Sides and Sunny are a package deal so it stands to reason that they would have to find someone that appealed to both of them. So it appears that Sides will be nothing more than a friend. So...looks like she needs another strong mech to bond with ;) She also gave me another idea that I will be working into the fic sometime soon...and gets full credit for it! I just need to figure out where I threw out that particular tidbit of information LOL!**

**Author's note is long this time so I'll quit rambling and let you get on with the action!**

"Starscream, we're about to have company," Thundercracker's nervous voice broke through Starscream's thoughts and he turned towards his Trine mate with a scowl.

"Who in the…oh slag!" he hissed as he watched the distinctive form of Megatron grow closer and closer. He kicked at an abandoned farm house, instantly causing it to explode. Why was the fragger coming here now?

"I'm judging by your lack of communication that you have failed to find the girl Starscream," Megatron growled as he landed beside his SIC and transformed. Starscream forced himself to stand straight as he locked optics with his leader. It wasn't his fault that he had allowed Barricade to watch over the girl in the first place. He should have known better than to trust that mech.

"We…have had some leads," he finally replied evasively. He quickly found himself on his back on the ground, with Megatron's foot planted firmly in the middle of his chest. He doesn't know why he said that. When Megatron was in a foul mood it was best to remain silent.

"If you have had leads then you should have found her already!" the Decepticon leader snapped. Starscream this time wisely stayed silently, only letting out a soft grunt as he was kicked in the side before Megatron moved away. He watched as his leader turned to Thundercracker and Skywarp, both of whom were terrified at having his focus turned on them.

"Tell me the truth. Have you even been looking for the girl?" he snarled. Skywarp shrank into himself and Thundercracker steeled himself as he answered.

"We have searched every square inch of area where she could have possibly gotten to in such a short amount of time. Starscream had the idea that perhaps the Autobot base is nearby, underground or hidden in the mountains somewhere," he replied hesitantly. Megatron turned back to Starscream, who had made no attempt to climb back to his feet.

"Well I must say Starscream I'm pleasantly surprised. It's not like you to have such a brilliant thought," he mused. Starscream kept a wary eye on him as he finally got up, brushing the dirt off of him absently.

"Thank you Lord Megatron. We have been searching the mountain areas but still have turned up no traces of Autobots," he replied. Megatron nodded.

"I would think not. Optimus is smarter than that. No, if the base is indeed around here it is well hidden. Our best bet is to linger around the area. Sooner or later the fleshlings will have to emerge for supplies," he growled. Starscream stared at him in surprise.

"I'm sorry Lord Megatron I didn't quite understand that," he finally said. Megatron smirked and Starscream shuddered at the sight. That smirk did not bode well for him. The Decepticon leader's next words confirmed his worst fears.

"I've decided that you need help since you are obviously incapable of doing this one simple assignment. Now, we will hide within that circle of trees over there," he said as he gestured to the nearby forest. Starscream momentarily forgot his fear as he sneered at his leader.

"Just what pray tell are we going to do in there?" he hissed. He let out a squawk as Megatron grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. Starscream trembled as he was pulled forward until he was a few mere inches away from Megatron's face as he answered.

"We wait."

Brie came online to the sound of shouting outside in the main med bay and vented softly. She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the berth and paused as she felt something tap on her leg. She glanced down and saw that it was Frenzy.

"C-Cade w-w-wants you t-to r-remain here," he said. Brie nodded thought she remained sitting on the edge of the berth. She had no desire to repeat her experience from last night. Instead she focused her attention on the argument outside her door. As she expected it concerned her and her safety.

"Ratchet she's scared ta death of that mech! Ah didn' want ta have her anymore frightened than she was!" Jazz growled.

"You should have commed for Ironhide or myself, not started a fight! Don't you think that would have frightened her even more? Especially since Sideswipe was about to go through Barricade to get to her?" Ratchet shot back. She heard Barricade snarl at his words.

"That glitch wouldn't have gotten past me!" he snapped. There was a long silence before another voice spoke and she recognized it as being Optimus'.

"So how do we resolve this? She cannot remain locked up forever. She needs interaction with both her human friends and Cybertronians," he said and she could hear the weariness in his voice. She frowned slightly. Her presence seemed to be causing havoc no matter what form she was in.

"W-W-We won't l-let a-a-anything h-happen t-to you," Frenzy hissed as he patted her foot. Brie smiled slightly, though her thoughts remained troubled. Frenzy must have sent out a message on the comm link because a moment later the door opened and Jazz strolled in nonchalantly.

"Hey Brie heard ya were up," he smiled as he moved to stand before her. His smile faded as he took note of the expression on her face and he vented softly. Apparently she had heard the little 'discussion' outside.

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble," she murmured as she fidgeted on the berth. She felt him take her hand and sagged slightly.

"Brie, yer not causin' any trouble so put that thought out of yer processor. Ya've had a lot ta adjust ta and Ah think yer doin' a fantastic job! We just need ta keep tha Terror Twins away from ya till yer more comfortable," he said. Brie raised her optics to meet his and relaxed at the honesty in his own. She knew it would take some time before she would ever feel truly comfortable with her new life. Thankfully it appeared that she had plenty of friends to help her.

"I just don't want to be a bother," she said quietly. Jazz gently squeezed her hand lightly until she looked at him again.

"Stop that," he scolded softly. Before Brie could say anything more Optimus entered the room and walked over to them.

"Good morning Brie. Did you rest well?" he asked as he smiled at the young femme. She nodded as she tentatively smiled back.

"Yes I did Optimus," she replied. The Autobot leader exchanged a look with the small saboteur before speaking again.

"I'd like to apologize for what happened last night, Brie. The twins were supposed to be in their quarters. If I had had any idea that they would try something like that I would have kept them in the brig," he sighed. Brie hesitated before replying.

"It's ok Optimus. I should have waited until I got the all clear. Did…did they tell you what Sunstreaker said?" she asked. Optimus shook his head, curiosity in his blue optics.

"He…apologized. Granted he probably did it because I'm no longer a 'squishy' but from what I understand it's not something that he does all that frequently," she said. Optimus looked even more surprised.

"It's true Optimus. Though I don't trust the mech as far as I can throw him," Barricade growled as he stalked into the room. Ratchet trailed behind him, nodding as well.

"I was there Optimus. He actually did apologize, though as Brie suggested it is most likely due to the fact that she is no longer human," the medic said as he moved forward to scan Brie. She sat perfectly still, a feat that the other mechs in the room marveled at. They never enjoyed Ratchet's scans. Even Barricade was smart enough to be wary of Ratchet. The stories that had spread through the Decepticons about his reputation were apparently to be believed, based off of what he had seen so far.

"Still…that doesn't mean he's any safer for her to be around," Optimus said. Jazz nodded.

"So ya see why tha slaggers shouldn' be around where ever our femme will be?" he asked. Brie gave a visible start at his words but brushed them off. All he simply meant was that she was Barricade's charge and apparently Jazz's self-appointed one as well.

"I agree. I will have Prowl schedule them for shifts when Brie will be socializing. We need to get her some quarters. She can't stay here in the med bay," Optimus replied. Brie immediately looked nervous.

"Don't worry femme you know we won't let anything happen to you," Barricade said gruffly as he tacitly acknowledged Jazz's continued involvement. The saboteur grinned cheekily and the ex-Con muttered something under his breath. The mech was going to drive him crazy but if it kept Brie safe until the right mech came along for her then he supposed he could deal with it.

"All right if you think that's best," she finally said. Optimus smiled as Elita walked through the door and hurried over to her.

"Come on Brie I have just the place in mind. It'll be perfect," she said. She gently tugged her adopted 'daughter' to her feet and led her out of the room. Brie cast a helpless look back, which drew laughter from the other mechs. Jazz turned to Barricade and grinned again as they moved to follow the two femmes.

"Between us and 'Lita those glitches aren' getting' anywhere near her," he said. Barricade nodded and smirked as they moved down the hallway. If those two pit-spawned frontliners thought that they were going to get their grubby hands on Brie they had another thing coming.


	25. Brie's Fears and Megatron's Impatience

**What's this? Another chapter already? I'm surprised myself LOL! Anyways I hope you enjoy since I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. Got so many ways to take it I'm second guessing myself.**

Later that day Brie sat in her new quarters as she processed things. She had been moved, unsurprisingly, into one close to Optimus and Elita, and she had to admit that she liked being in it more than being in the med bay. She glanced around the sparsely decorated berth room. The place needed some decorating.

She wandered into the separate living quarters, smiling slightly as she watched Jazz and Barricade bicker over guarding duties. As much as Barricade growled and glared she knew that he didn't mind the small saboteur. The fact that Jazz seemed to enjoy provoking the ex-Con only made the situation even funnier, at least for her. She had no worries about her safety when she was with them.

Sensing her presence, the two mechs glanced over and Barricade shook his head at the sight of her amused smile. Jazz merely gave her a cheeky salute and Brie couldn't help but laugh. She could see why he was the morale booster. He had a way about him that just set you at ease even as he lifted your spirits. She never forgot though that he was a deadly warrior. Shaking off that particular line of thought she stepped forward.

"So, work out anything yet?" she asked. The two mechs were silent for a moment as they studied her. It was amazing just how much she had come out of her shell since being in her new quarters. They had no doubts that once she left she would revert back to her quiet, shy and timid shell. For now they were simply glad to see her actually smiling and interacting with them like she was.

"Well we would if 'Cade would quit bein' so slaggin' stubborn," Jazz replied as he threw his clawed hands up in the air. Barricade glared at him and Brie snickered softly. They were the perfect oddball pair to protect her.

"Where's Frenzy?" she asked, noticing that the small spy wasn't in the room. Barricade spoke, though he kept his optics on a still very much amused Jazz. The saboteur was going to be the death of him, he just knew it.

"He went out to see about the schedule of the Terror Twins so we can get you out and about," he replied gruffly. Brie shivered slightly at the reminder of the duo, though it was more so of the thought of Sunstreaker. She still couldn't shake the image of him leaning over her so aggressively while she had been wracked with pain in the med bay. She didn't care that he had apologized; she still wanted nothing to do with him at the moment.

"Easy Brie Ah'm sure Prime has them doin' somethin'. Ah know that Lennox and Epps were talkin' 'bout makin' a supply run," Jazz said, seeing her unease. Brie nodded, though her unease remained. Something was coming; she could feel it. She just didn't know what.

"What's wrong femme?" Barricade asked as he focused his attention on her. Brie hesitated, feeling foolish. Surely if there was any danger then her human friends wouldn't be going out.

"Nothing I just…I'm just paranoid I guess," she replied as she kept her optics averted from theirs. Barricade and Jazz exchanged glances. She knew something.

**::Optimus, have tha humans left yet?::** Jazz asked over a comm link. There was a moment's hesitation before he received a reply.

**::They're about to leave now. Did Brie need something?:: **he asked. Jazz looked at Brie, who was shifting on her feet slightly. Her fear was almost tangible. Something was frightening her and he was pretty sure it had something to do with the thought of her friends leaving the base.

**::Tell them ta wait. Brie seems ta be concerned 'bout their trip,::** he replied as Barricade stood and approached the young femme. He watched as the other mech spoke softly to her, seeking to ease her fears. He couldn't hear her reply but judging by the way Barricade stiffened he didn't like what she had said.

**::Optimus, the femme is quite concerned that something is going to happen,::** Barricade's voice cut in on the link and there was another moment's silence before Optimus spoke again.

**::I have asked them to hold off for now. Can you get Brie to speak of what is upsetting her?::** he asked. Barricade watched as Brie turned and wandered back into the berth room and vented softly.

**::She won't say. All she'll say is that she feels like something's coming,::** he replied. Optimus frowned as he glanced at a puzzled Will and Epps.

"Sargent Epps, I would ask that you and Major Lennox wait a bit longer to leave. Brie is upset and afraid that something is going to happen," he explained. The two men exchanged puzzled and concerned looks. While they were glad that she seemed to care so much about their safety they were puzzled by her vague concern. Did she know something that she was neglecting to share?

"Does she have any specific information?" Will finally asked. Optimus shook his head.

"All she will tell Barricade and Jazz is that she feels that something is coming. I'm not sure what she means by that," he replied. Will sighed.

"It's ok we still have enough supplies to last us awhile. We'll check in with our little lady and see what's bugging her," Epps replied. Optimus smiled as he dipped his head.

"Thank you Sargent Epps," he replied. Epps nodded and turned, following Will back to the rec room. Optimus watched them go before moving towards Brie's quarters. He would see if he could get her to open up as to what was bothering her. He commed Prowl as he did so.

**::Prowl, the humans are going to wait for a bit to do their supply run. Can you find something else for the twins to do?:: **he asked.

**::Of course Optimus. Is something wrong?:: **he asked. Optimus vented softly.

**::I'm not sure. I'm going to find out now. I'll let you know,:: **he replied before closing the link. As he approached Brie's quarters his concern grew.

'_I hope you will trust me little one. How can I help if you will not speak of your feelings?'_ he thought. He stopped at the door and sent out a message to Jazz. He would do whatever it took to reassure Brie that she was safe. There was no way Megatron could get her. He didn't even know where their base was. As long as he lived Megatron would never get his claws on her.

"Where are they?!" Megatron's roar rang out through the too tense atmosphere, sending birds flying and the few forest creatures that had been hiding nearby fleeing in the opposite direction. Thundercracker and Skywarp remained quiet, knowing not to risk provoking their leader's wrath. Too bad that Starscream hadn't learned his lesson about that yet.

"It would appear Lord Megatron that your idea is a bit…flawed. After all, who's to say that this is even the right area?" the Seeker purred. He immediately realized his mistake as he was grabbed around the throat and thrown into a series of nearby trees, instantly flattening them as he fell to the ground. Before he could scramble to his feet Megatron had already approached and slammed his foot down on his throat, preventing his escape.

"You dare to question my judgment Starscream?" he growled, his crimson eyes flashing. Starscream made a choked sound as his leader's foot crushed down even more on his throat as he struggled to rectify his mistake.

"N-No L-Lord Megatron. P-Please forgive m-me," he managed to gasp out. Megatron glared at him for a moment longer before removing his foot and turning away, storming through the trees and shoving them aside as he went. Thundercracker and Skywarp hurried over to help their Trine leader to his feet, moving away quickly as he swung at them in anger. The two Seekers were silent as they caught sight of the look in Starscream's optics. He was up to something and whatever it was they weren't sure that they wanted any part of it.

"Since the Autobots won't come out to play…we'll just have to flush them out," he sneered. Before either mech could protest he transformed and took off towards the mountains, ignoring Megatron's roar of anger. They vented softly as they reluctantly transformed and took off after him. If he was going to get himself killed they might as well be there themselves.

"WHY are we stuck helping Ratchet with this slagging inventory?" Sunstreaker growled as they checked off the next item on the data pad. Sideswipe shrugged though the look in his optics was as dark as Sunstreaker's was.

"Because of your deliberate provocation of Barricade and Jazz," both mechs tensed at the sound of Ratchet's growled words. They turned to face the medic, none too surprised to find that he had Prowl with him. It figured that he would be there to make sure that they were serving their punishment.

"I thought we were going out to protect the humans when they went for supplies?" Sideswipe said as he set the data pad aside and crossed his arms over his chest. Prowl's door wings twitched briefly at the challenge in the frontliner's posture but ignored it as he spoke.

"Major Lennox has decided that the supply run can wait a bit longer," he replied coolly.

"So why not just stick us in the brig if you're worried about us upsetting the femme?" Sunstreaker shot back. Ratchet subspaced a wrench and the golden mech fell silent. He had enough dents in his beautiful frame already thank you very much.

"Because Optimus said that wouldn't teach you anything.," Prowl replied. Sideswipe snorted suddenly.

"He thinks that sorting through this scrap will? I think Hatchet here just didn't want to…OWW!" Sideswipe grabbed at his helm, which now sported a new dent courtesy of Ratchet and his deadly aim.

"I've told you not to call me that! And this 'scrap' as you call it helps keep your glitching afts online!" the medic snarled as he walked over and retrieved his wrench. Sideswipe glared at him but flinched as Ratchet made a twitch of the wrench towards him before he rejoined Prowl.

"Once you are finished with the inventory contact me and I'll have your next chore ready," Prowl said before turning and leaving the supply closet, with Ratchet close behind him. The two mechs waited until they could no longer hear the sound of their footsteps before Sideswipe reached up and quietly removed the panel above them. He easily crawled up inside, a grumbling Sunstreaker following close behind him. Why did the golden mech have a feeling that this little stunt of Sideswipe's was going to get them into even more trouble than they already were?

Brie paced the berth room anxiously, unable to sit still. She could hear Barricade and Jazz outside talking and there was a brief silence before she heard the sound of Optimus' soothing baritone voice. She vented softly, fighting the urge to shift down to her human form and hide. She hated feeling like this, especially since she didn't know why she was feeling what she was.

"Brie?" Optimus' voice from the doorway pulled her attention out of her thoughts and she turned towards him hesitantly. She didn't know what to say. She really didn't want to sound like an idiot.

"Barricade and Jazz said you're worried about something," the regal Autobot leader continued as he stepped further into the room. He watched the young femme sink onto the berth and fiddled with her hands briefly as she tried to piece together her thoughts.

"I…I can't explain it Optimus. Something is screaming at me that no one should leave today," she said quietly. Optimus watched her intently. He wondered if the experiments had done more than just change her physically.

"Major Lennox and Sargent Epps have agreed to put off their supply run for now," he said soothingly. He watched as she sagged slightly in relief and he realized that whatever it was she was feeling had been taking a heavier toll on her than either of her guardians knew.

"I'm sorry Optimus I know that we need things," she whispered. She jumped as she felt him suddenly take her hand in his and glanced up, startled. How in the hell did such a big mech move so damn quietly?

"We have enough to last us for some time. Can you explain more about your feeling?" he asked. Brie thought for a moment.

"It's like…I don't know! All I know is that something's coming!" she finally burst out in frustration. Optimus immediately squeezed her hand gently in comfort.

"It's ok Brie we'll figure it out. How about we go to the rec room for a bit?" he said soothingly. Brie immediately tensed again.

"W-What about…" her voice trailed off and Optimus' optics hardened slightly.

"They're on punishment detail. They won't be done with their chores for quite some time. Beside, I'll be there as well as Barricade and Jazz," he replied. Brie hesitated a moment longer before standing. She knew she would have to face them sooner or later. She couldn't be any safer than she was.

"A-All right. It would be good to see some new faces," she said quietly. Optimus smiled as he led her towards the door and she was surprised to find Barricade and Jazz already waiting for them. Without another word they stepped out and disappeared down the hallway, moving towards the rec room…never knowing that two pairs of gleaming optics were watching them from the vents above. Sunstreaker vented softly and shook his head. Why had he allowed his brother to drag him into this?

"She's a femme Sunny," Sideswipe said quietly. Sunstreaker scowled at the use of the hated nickname.

"She used to be a human, Sides," he shot back. Sideswipe crossed his arms and glared. Why the slag was he being so stubborn?

"You apologized to her," he pointed out. Sunstreaker shrugged slightly.

"Even if she was a squishy I had no right to treat her like that. Human or not no femme deserves to go through what she did nor do they deserve to be treated as I treated her. I apologized, she accepted, that's the end of it. I'm going back to the med bay before Ratchet discovers us gone and has both our afts thrown in the brig," he replied before turning and making his way back through the vents. After a moment's silence he heard Sideswipe beginning to follow him. He somehow knew that he hadn't heard the last of the subject and he vented softly. He only hoped that he had the self-control to restrain the urge to throttle his twin. How he had ended up with such a soft glitched mech for a twin he didn't know.


	26. Assaults and Serious Talks

**Ok I put a poll on my profile. I'm still not 100% locked on who to put our lovely Brie with. The results could help me rewrite the next few chapters since I've gone in one direction with it. Please vote!**

* * *

The sound of the nearby explosion rocked the base and an alarm began to blare instantly. Brie let out a startled cry and immediately was surrounded by Jazz and Barricade. Frenzy had instantly rushed back out to find out what was going on, though it was painfully obvious. Either Megatron had discovered their base or he was randomly firing at the mountains to draw them out. Either way Brie was in danger and there was no slagging way that either mech was going to allow anything to happen to her.

"Jazz, Barricade! Take her deeper into the mountain with Sam and Mikaela!" Optimus' voice rang out and the two mechs scrambled to obey.

"Ah'll take point," Jazz said grimly. Barricade nodded and slipped behind Brie as they began to herd her out of the rec room, where she had been shyly interacting with a few of the mechs and femmes, and down the hallway. Underneath their feet soldiers were scrambling to assemble and Brie winced as she concentrated on stepping on any of them. She had known something bad was going to happen!

"This isn't your fault femme so don't even start going down that line of thinking," Barricade growled suddenly. Brie flinched guiltily and Jazz shook his head slightly. They were going to need that kind of thinking in the bud immediately.

The rest of the short journey was spent in silence and once they were in the room Barricade immediately palmed the door closed and took defensive stance in front of it. Brie spotted Sam and Mikaela, looking more than a bit nervous as Bumblebee hovered over them, nearby but decided not to bother them just yet. She wandered over to the other side of the room and sank down onto a stack of crates, her spark leaping erratically. Perhaps if she turned herself over to Megatron…

"Don' even think about it," Jazz growled as he suddenly appeared before her. Brie jumped slightly, her optics wide, at the sight of the glare on his face. She had never seen him angry before, having been nowhere around during his fights with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. It was unnerving and made her realize once again just how dangerous the small saboteur could be.

"Jazz, it's me that he wants. There's no need…" her voice trailed off as another explosion, this time much closer, rocked the base and she let out a startled cry. Jazz immediately reached out to steady her before she fell off the crates and Brie instinctively latched onto his arms. She was unaware of the way he instantly stilled, his visor darkening slightly, before he visibly shook his head.

"Brie, there's no way in pit that we're gonna allow that monster ta get his claws on ya. Yer safe here," he said quietly. Brie averted her optics and nodded slightly. She couldn't deny the sense of relief and safety she felt at his words. She didn't know what she would do without them.

"I know Jazz. I just…I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me," she whispered. She was unsurprised when he suddenly appeared in her line of vision, having knelt before her to catch her attention. She found her optics drawn to his visor, which was a rich dark blue as he again took her hands in his.

"Ya don' have ta worry 'bout that Brie. Optimus and tha others have been battlin' Megsy and his misfits fer a long time and Will and tha soldiers have had plenty of trainin'. No Con is getting' past them and even if they do they still have 'Cade, Bee and maself ta get through," he said as an evil grin bloomed on his lips. Brie found that she was more reassured by that smile then frightened and forced herself to relax. As she did so she realized that Jazz was still holding her hands and she was surprised to find herself faintly blushing. She wasn't even aware that she could still do that.

Jazz suddenly seemed to realize his position and released her hands, standing. She gazed up and saw one side of his visor wink off briefly in his version of a wink before turning and strolling over to where Barricade stood to discuss strategies. She watched him go, admiring the deadly grace that he exuded. She quickly turned her attention to Sam and Mikaela, who were huddled together as they talked quietly with Bumblebee. She vented softly. Sometimes she wondered would have happened if Barricade hadn't helped her escape. At a sudden sharp look from Barricade and Jazz she forced herself to think about something else. She didn't know how they did it but they always seemed to know what she was thinking. Perhaps she should ask her human friends. Were her emotions that easy to read?

* * *

Optimus led the others out of a secret exit, having gotten confirmation from Red Alert that Starscream's firepower was concentrated on the other side. He vented heavily as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker pushed past him, eager to practice some Jet Judo. Honestly he didn't know what to do with them. They were two of his best fighters, no doubt about it. So why couldn't they simply follow orders for once?

"They wouldn't be the slagging twins if they behaved," Ironhide growled suddenly, tuning into Optimus' thoughts. The Autobot leader had to smirk slightly. The day the twins learned to behave and follow orders would be the day that he stepped down as Prime to allow Ironhide to lead.

There was no further talk as they stealthily made their way up the well hidden path, coming to a stop behind a thick strand of trees. They gazed down at the sight of Starscream firing his missiles indiscriminately at the mountains, hoping to draw the Autobots out. Skywarp and Thundercracker hovered beside him, though Optimus noted that they weren't firing any weapons themselves. It appeared that they were just there to watch his back and nothing else.

"Starscream!" Megatron's bellow startled the Autobots and humans and they watched as the Decepticon leader came up behind Starscream. He transformed and went to grab the disobedient SIC when Sunstreaker and Sideswipe suddenly struck. With a stealth that rivaled Jazz's they pounced from their hidden perch, coming to land directly on a visibly startled Skywarp and Thundercracker.

"WHAT THE SLAG?"  
"GET OFF ME!"

The two exclamations were yelled at once and Optimus had to pinch the bridge of his nose as Will and Epps led the soldiers into opening fire. He exchanged a glance with Ironhide, who was all but itching to get into the fight.

"Do not take on Megatron," he instructed. He didn't even wait for Ironhide's nod of agreement before storming out of his cover with a speed that made the humans pause to watch. Even though they had seen it before it was still a sight to see the Autobot leader's powerful frame move so fast. Megatron turned and his optics widened as he barely caught a glimpse of the charging mech before he was tackled to the ground. He immediately punched up, catching Optimus in the face. As the two mechs separated and circled each other Megatron allowed one thought to cross his processor.

_'Maybe Starscream isn't so useless after all.'_

* * *

Barricade and Jazz watched Brie as she sat quietly on the crates, obviously deep in thought. They had seen her glance over at her human friends briefly before turning her attention back to the floor. Jazz vented softly and Barricade gave him a long searching look.

"Tell me Autobot, what's the real reason you want to help me guard her?" Barricade asked suddenly, catching the smaller mech off guard. His visor lit up in surprise as he stared at the ex-Con. What in the slag had brought that question on?

"What?" was the only response that came to his lips and Barricade smirked. It was a rare thing to surprise the saboteur and it was something he was going to hold over his head for quite some time.

"What is the real reason you want to help me guard her?" he asked again, speaking slowly as if speaking to a sparkling. Jazz scowled at his tone but glanced back to Brie again, who was by now intently studying her hands as if they contained answers to the questions swarming her processor.

"Better yet, how long had you been watching her at base?" Barricade asked. He was honestly curious. He had known that Jazz was around, as was Mirage, but he wasn't sure just how long Jazz had been watching the girl. Jazz vented softly.

"Long enough ta know that she deserved better," he replied. Barricade gave him another long look. There was more to what the other mech was saying but he decided to let it go for now. If he had to choose a mate for Brie he couldn't think of a better one that Jazz. He had a way of drawing people, whether they be 'Bot or human, out of their shells. He was the unofficial morale booster and already Barricade had seen the effects he had on the girl. She was slowly becoming much more willing to interact with them and a few select other mechs than she had been. Barricade turned his attention back to the door, keeping a discreet eye on Jazz as he stole concerned looks at Brie. He had much to think about and decided that they would have to have a more in depth chat soon. For now they needed to concentrate on the job at hand: keeping Brie safe and out of Megatron's hands.

Brie was well aware of the way Barricade and Jazz were studying her and she had to force herself to remain still. She had always been uneasy having too much attention focused on her. It usually meant that bad things were coming. It was a feeling that she knew wouldn't go away anytime soon.

She stole another look over at Sam and Mikaela, who waved at her. She tentatively waved back but made no attempt to move. They seemed to sense her somber mood and made no attempt to coax her over, though she knew that they would be cornering her later. She shuttered her optics briefly before focusing on her hands. She didn't know what to think anymore.

She heard Jazz's started exclamation and glanced up briefly, wondering what they were talking about. Whatever Barricade had said had taken Jazz off guard briefly judging by his body posture though he quickly hid it. She returned her attention to her hands, fully aware of when the two mechs glanced her way. She was suddenly aware of the sudden silence and realized that the Autobots obviously had reached the Decepticons. She sent up a silent prayer for their safety. If something happened to any of them, or her human friends, she would never forgive herself!

* * *

"Where is the femme?" Megatron growled as he and Optimus traded punches. The fact that Starscream's so called plan happened to work set uneasily in his mind. At least they now had an approximate location of the Autobot base. They could call in reinforcements and work on storming the actual base itself then.

"Someplace where you'll never be able to reach her!" Optimus growled as he ducked underneath the punch and followed up with one of his own that sent the Decepticon leader stumbling back. Megatron snarled as he pulled a weapon from subspace. The time for playing was over! He would find out the girl's location even if it meant blackmailing one of the slagging Autobots before disposing of their pain in the aft leader!

"GET OFF OF ME YOU PSYCHOTIC GLITCH!" Thundercracker's voice roared out as he spun and maneuvered wildly, hoping to dislodge the silver menace that he had picked up moments before. Sideswipe merely laughed as he held on, sounding as if it were nothing more than a child's ride.

"Aww don't you want to give me a ride Thundercracker? I'm wounded; I thought we were friends," he snickered even as he dug his fingers into delicate seams to pull and tug at sensitive wires that made the Seeker screech. Not too far away Skywarp was having similar issues with the volatile golden frontliner. He had even warped away a time or two and had still been unable to shake Sunstreaker.

Starscream watched helplessly, wanting to help his Trine mates but for the moment unsure how to. He was a good shot but he didn't want to risk potentially hitting either Skywarp or Thundercracker. Any attempts to get close was met by a volley of fire from the twins and a pulled sword that threatened to pierce through the mech beneath them's cockpit. He cursed viciously. Why hadn't he stopped to consider the possibility of running into the Terror Twins when beginning his oh so called 'brilliant' plan?

The sound of a cannon firing suddenly reached him and he screeched as he quickly dodged the shot, the bullet coming too close to his wings for comfort. He snarled as he spotted the thrice damned weapons specialist, grinning as he lined up to take another shot at him. He primed his own missiles and prepared to fire but had to quickly move again as two more shots were sent his way. He hesitated, his attention torn between taking out the black mech below him and helping his Trine mates. Where was his glorious 'leader' when they needed a plan now?

Below the struggling Seekers Megatron and Optimus were locked together in combat, Megatron snarling as his legs were peppered with bullets that the humans had quickly learned would harm them. If he could shake the blasted Autobot leader for one moment he would find the insects and squash them! A vicious blow to the head brought his attention back to the matter at hand and he realized that a strategic retreat was in order. After all, they could quickly bring back reinforcements and take out the Autobots in one fell swoop!

"Decepticons retreat!" he called out as he delivered one last powerful blow to Optimus and flipped up, transforming as he did so. He noted that Starscream was quick to follow, dodging even more shots from Ironhide as Skywarp and Thundercracker were finally able to shake their unwanted hitchhikers and taking off after them. The Autobots watched them go as Will and Epps led their soldiers out of the brush they had been strategically hidden in. Optimus' optics met Will's and the male sighed.

"Time to move the base," he called out. The group turned and began to head back, going over what they needed to do in order to move to another base, located in another mountain further away and inaccessible to the Decepticons should they actually be able to breach their defenses of their current one and discover their whereabouts of their new one. As they walked Sideswipe's voice rang out above the chatter and Optimus pinched the bridge of his nose as Ironhide's cannons whirled as he struggled with the urge to simply turn and shoot the twins.

"Aww they always leave when the party is just starting!"


	27. Barricade's Sly Plan Begins to Bloom

**Ok I've killed my brain enough with math today so I figured I'd go ahead and post this. I'll be closing the poll and thank you to all who voted! I will definitely be keeping onto the path I wrote ;) So enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

It was two weeks later and Brie was finally settled into her new quarters. She watched quietly as Jazz fiddled with the speakers of the stereo system that he had insisted that she have. Barricade was off in yet another meeting with Optimus and Frenzy was out keeping an eye on Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. She frowned slightly. Barricade seemed to be leaving her alone with Jazz an awful lot here lately.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Brie jumped slightly as she realized that she had been so deep in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed Jazz's approach. Judging by the color of his visor he had been well aware of it and had decided to sneak up on her. She glared at him even as she swatted his shoulder. She was definitely not amused when he decided to pull that stunt.

"I was just wondering what you were up to. You were too quiet and that's never a good thing," she replied and giggled at the sight of the mock hurt that flashed across his face.

"Ya wound me femme ya really do!" he exclaimed as he grabbed playfully at his spark. Brie giggled harder and allowed him to lead her forward to study the rather impressive system he had confiscated for their listening pleasure. She studied it thoughtfully. It was much nicer than the one she had had before…she shook off that thought. No need to dwell on the past, especially since Jazz was looking a bit anxious as to her approval.

"I like it Jazz. I'm assuming you have some music already picked out?" she asked as she moved to take a seat on the couch that had also been confiscated. She had no idea where it had come from, especially since the new rec room had one still. Just how many pieces of Autobot sized furniture did they have stashed around?

"Have a seat and Ah'll put somethin' on," he smiled. Wondering just exactly how he was going to manage to manipulate something as small as CDs into the player she did as told, sinking down with a faint sound. She hated being cooped up. Perhaps it was time to brave going to the rec room despite Sunstreaker's presence. She needed to regain her self-confidence, as Jazz and Barricade were always nagging her about, and that seemed like as good a place to start as any.

The soft soothing sound of the music drifted out of the speakers and Brie found herself relaxing even more. Music had always had a good effect on her. She shuttered her optics and simply allowed the music to surround her. She was vaguely aware of Jazz coming to join her but said nothing. She was too wrapped up in the music to acknowledge his presence though she felt his familiar presence take its place beside her. She made a soft happy hum as she unconsciously snuggled closer to him. She would worry about leaving her quarters later; right now she was perfectly content to just sit and listen to music with him.

Jazz was surprised as she moved to snuggle up to his side but automatically wrapped an arm around her to draw her closer. He studied her as she reclined against him, his processor working restlessly. She was a lovely femme; she had been a lovely human as well. She was still shy and reserved but slowly she was beginning to come out of her shell. Soon all of the other mechs would see her true personality and spirit. He should be happy; she needed friends both human and Cybertronian to help her continue to blossom. So why did the thought of another mech paying close attention to her make him feel like punching something?

Neither Jazz nor Brie was aware of when Barricade slipped into the room. He stood by the door silently, observing the pair. A rare smile crept up onto his lips as he nodded slightly to himself in satisfaction. He had discussed his thoughts about Jazz with Optimus and Elita, both of whom had heartily agreed with him. They had observed the way he interacted with Brie and had seen what Barricade did: Jazz was interested in her.

Deciding that they would be rather embarrassed should he discover them in such a position, he slipped back out the door and made a show of keying in the code to open it. He smirked as he heard the soft rustling as Brie hastily moved away from Jazz, curling up on the end of the couch on the opposite side from him. He opened the door and stepped back inside and his smirk widened as he watched Jazz fiddle with the stereo again. He would have to tease the saboteur about his skills later.

"Haven't you gotten that thing working yet Autobot?" he growled. Well, he'd tease him more later. He just couldn't resist getting in a sly jab. He chuckled at the dark look Jazz shot him before he straightened and turned away from the stereo.

"It's workin' just had ta adjust tha volume levels," he replied with his usual smooth charm. Barricade shook his head as Frenzy slipped into the room. The small mech wasn't fooling him and by the sour look he was getting he knew it. Deciding to let Jazz off the hook for the moment, he turned his attention to his small partner.

"T-The t-t-twins are a-at t-the other b-b-base helping m-move more t-things," he reported. Barricade nodded and watched as Brie climbed to her feet as Jazz switched off the stereo. Since her transformation she had grown more graceful with her movements to the point where unless you knew her background you wouldn't know that she had once been human.

"I was going to say that…I need to start getting out more…whether he's there or not," she said quietly. Jazz smiled as Barricade nodded his approval. Jazz was beginning to rub off on her more and more every day. It was another sign that his instincts were proving correct. Jazz grinned as he took her hand with a flourish and placed it on his arm.

"There's tha girl Ah knew was hidin' in there! Lead on 'Cade Ah'll allow ya ta take point this time!" he smirked. Barricade growled but opened the door anyways, stepping in front of them. Brie couldn't help but laugh at Jazz. He was such a clown sometimes.

Brie soon found herself in the rec room and she hesitated, her old fears coming back to haunt her briefly. She felt herself tense as the urge to turn and run back the way they had just came washed over her. She felt Jazz place a clawed hand on hers in support as he spoke.

"Ya can do this Brie. Ah know yer scared but ya gotta face yer fears. Ya can' hide from 'em forever," he said quietly. Barricade stood off to the side, nodding slightly when Brie shot him an uncertain look. Knowing that he was right and with Barricade's subtle encouragement, Brie took a shaky step forward into the room. Immediately heads swiveled towards them and the urge to flee grew even stronger.

"Hey Brie!" the sound of Mikaela's voice caught her attention and she turned to see her small friend waving at her from her perch on Bumblebee's shoulder as he sat on the couch. She made a beeline over towards them, glad to see some familiar faces. Jazz moved to stand beside Ironhide as Barricade placed himself discreetly next to the couch as the two girls immediately fell into conversation, pulling Bumblebee and Sam into it as well.

"Good to see her getting out," Ironhide said as he watched the girls begin to laugh over something that Sam said. Jazz nodded, his optics troubled behind his visor.

"She's tryin', though it's gonna take some time still," he replied. Ironhide nodded and there was a moment's silence before the weapons specialist spoke again, a sly note in his voice.

"So…I take it things are going well?" he asked. Jazz straightened briefly before turning to face the taller mech, confusion written on his face. On the other side of the room Barricade chuckled softly. Another thing to hold over the saboteur's head; he had once again been caught off guard by a few simple words.

"What? Oh you mean getting her to open up more? Yeah that's going good," he replied with an uncharacteristic frown. Ironhide laughed and Chromia swatted him as she approached to join the two mechs.

"Oh knock it off you big lug you know he isn't thinking like that yet!" she snickered. Jazz frowned even more as his confusion grew.

"What tha pit are ya two goin' on about?" he asked. This only served to make the couple laugh harder and with one last half puzzled half annoyed glare he pushed away from the wall to seek out a more sane mech or femme to talk to. Barricade couldn't help his own snicker as he watched the saboteur walk off. How he could be one of their top spies and still be so clueless about some things the ex-Con didn't know.

"So how do you like your new quarters?" Mikaela asked as they chatted quietly. Sam was speaking to Bumblebee, leaving the two girls to spend some quality girl time together.

"It's nice. Jazz got the stereo hooked up and we were listening to some music before 'Cade came back," she replied. Mikaela blinked in surprise.

"Jazz got a stereo for your quarters?" she asked. Brie nodded and the other girl couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her. Brie cocked her head to the side as she watched her friend curiously.

"What's so funny?" she finally asked. Mikaela managed to stifle her giggles and push away the words about Jazz trying to impress Brie before giving her another much more innocent answer.

"Just trying to imagine how the hell Jazz manages to put those small CDs in the player," she snickered. Brie laughed the sound carrying throughout the room and bringing a smile to the faces of the humans and 'Bots in the room. The smiles quickly faded, Barricade moving to block the sight of her from the doorway with a growl, as Sunstreaker and Sideswipe entered the room. The two mechs froze at the looks they were receiving and they exchanged puzzled glances.

"What?" the golden mech finally snapped. Immediately conversation resumed, though Sideswipe noted that the 'Con was standing in front of the couch suspiciously. Another glance at where Jazz was standing, visor dark as he watched them intently, made him realize that Brie had obviously decided to come out of her quarters. He grinned. Maybe he could finally get a chance to talk to her!

_**~Leave it alone Sides,~ **_Sunstreaker growled as he stalked over to get some Energon. Sideswipe trailed after him, still trying to steal glances around the growling Barricade.

_**~Slag it Sunny would you quit being such a cold sparked glitch for a moment!~ **_he growled in return. Sunstreaker whirled to face his twin, with a snarl on his face.

_**~Take a look around you fragger! Do you think you could get anywhere near her? You'd be tossed on your aft by pretty much every mech in here!~ **_he snapped. Just then Brie's voice rang out again, the sound so carefree and full of laughter that Sideswipe's attention was once again drawn to the couch. Ignoring Sunstreaker's warning snarls he began to skate towards the area, only to meet resistance in the form of Jazz.

"Sides, there ya are ma mech! Good ta see ya! Where ya headin'?" he asked as he stood before the silver frontliner and crossed his arms down at his waist. Sideswipe wasn't fooled by the stance in the least. The small saboteur may appear relaxed but one look at his visor, which was darker than usual, and you knew that he was merely biding his time.

Sunstreaker in the meantime had snagged his Energon and began to head for the door when he caught a flash of movement from behind Barricade. His optics narrowed as he spotted Mikaela speaking with Brie. He shook his head slightly. It wasn't worth the aft kicking he would receive should he try to approach her...the aft kicking that Sideswipe seemed so determined to bring down upon himself.

Brie felt the sensation of being watched and her voice trailed off as she glanced around uneasily. She tensed as she caught a flash of gold at the doorway behind Barricade and had to fight the urge to make herself smaller. She was safe here; Jazz and Barricade were nearby. She had no reason to be afraid. She could do this.

"Just ignore him Brie," Mikaela said softly. She heard the annoyed growl that she received for her words but paid it no heed. It was high time that the vain mech learned that there were some humans, and Cybertronians, that he simply couldn't intimidate.

"I…" Brie's voice was a whisper as she wrapped her arms around herself. She suddenly wished that she had remained in her quarters. Something inside of her though suddenly spoke up. She was a survivor. She had taken everything the Decepticons had thrown at her and come out of it stronger. She could do this. She glanced over to Jazz, who was standing in front of Sideswipe with a deceptively casual stance that belied the tension she could almost see coiling in his frame. He had been so supportive of her. She would hate to disappoint him.

"Nice to see you again femme…though the last time I did you were…a bit more shy," Sunstreaker called out. Brie heard the slight sneer in his voice and something inside of her snapped. She shot Mikaela an apologetic look before standing and turning to face the frontliner. She then crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at him, ignoring the way the room went silent and the way all eyes and optics turned towards her.

"Nice to see that your apology was as sincere as I thought it was Sunstreaker," she said coolly. There was a hushed silence as the golden twin's optics narrowed. Who did that femme think she was?

"Apology? I think your transformation must have scrambled your processor," he replied coolly, though his optics warned her not to continue. Ignoring Mikaela's frantic attempts to get her attention she vented softly in resignation as she shook her head.

"You don't remember? How sad. I guess age must be catching up to you. Perhaps Ratchet can help you with your…memory losses," she purred. Sunstreaker dropped the Energon he had been holding as he stared at her in shock. Satisfied that she had gotten the last word in, she turned and sat back down and rejoined a stunned Mikaela and Sam on the couch. She forced herself to remain still underneath Bumblebee's disbelieving gaze as she placed her hands in her lap and smiled.

"Now, where were we?"

Sideswipe couldn't help it; he had to laugh. The look on Sunstreaker's face as Brie had finally stood up for herself had been priceless. The fact that he was still looking as if somebot had smacked him senseless was even more priceless. He took a quick discreet photo before the golden frontliner shook himself from his shocked stupor. He snarled and stalked out of the room, the sound of laughter following him. Sideswipe glanced at Jazz, who was trying his best not to laugh himself, and moved backwards.

"I'm going to go see if I can calm Sunshine down before he blows a gasket. Nice job Brie!" he called out before turning and skating out of the room in pursuit of his twin. The mechs could hear his snickers trailing down the hallway and Jazz turned to Brie and shook his head. Barricade did the same, glaring at her though at the same time a bit of pride shone out of his red optics.

"That wasn't very smart Brie," he growled. He watched her sigh as she nodded.

"I know I just…I don't know what got into me," she said quietly. It was true; she didn't know what had possessed her to say that to Sunstreaker of all mechs! Mikaela reached over and patted her shoulder in reassurance even as Sam muttered something about Brie having more balls than he did.

"While it was amusin' ta see Sunny put in his place perhaps ya should have waited a bit longer," Jazz chuckled. Brie said nothing, her insecurities returning as the reality of what she had done began to set in. Sensing her growing distress, Mikaela shot a glare at both Barricade and Jazz just as Optimus and Elita stepped into the room.

"What did we miss?" Optimus asked Ironhide as Elita made a beeline to where Brie was hiding. Ironhide was still chuckling so Chromia had to answer for him, though she herself couldn't help but laugh every now and then.

"Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were here. Sunny decided to pick on Brie and she fought back," she replied. Optimus' optics widened. He glanced over to where Elita was standing with a shocked look on her face. He shook his head as he saw her begin to laugh and gently tug Brie to her feet and wrap her up in a hug.

"What did she saw exactly?" he asked. It was here that Ironhide had to pick up the story, as Chromia began laughing too hard to speak. Optimus didn't know whether to be proud or worried by Ironhide's next words.

"She pretty much said the one thing we've all been saying. Sunstreaker needs his processor checked."

* * *

Sunstreaker stormed into the quarters he and Sideswipe shared, growling. How dare that…that…oh he didn't even have a word for that femme! He heard Sideswipe entering shortly behind him and whirled around to face him, a snarl etched on his lips.

"Not…one…word!" he hissed at the silver mech. Sideswipe made a zipping motion across his lips, though the amusement remained in his optics. Sunstreaker turned and stalked towards the berth room, his thoughts dark. He flopped down on his berth and shuttered his optics, throwing an arm over them for good measure as his processor replayed the incident in the rec room again. He felt his anger lessen as respect stirred within him.

_'I guess I did deserve that,'_ he thought with a grimace.

_**~Yes you did Sunshine,~ **_Sideswipe's amused voice came through their bond and he growled in frustration.

_**~Shut up Sides and don't call me that!~**_ he snapped. Sideswipe laughed as he stood in the doorway, leaning against it casually with his arms across his chest.

"Go away!" Sunstreaker snapped as he onlined his optics to glare at his twin. Sideswipe's grin merely widened.

"Once you admit that you were a total aft and that you intend to apologize and mean it this time," he replied coolly. Sunstreaker sat up and glared at the other mech, wondering how much brig time he would get if he simply hauled back and knocked him halfway down the hallway.

"I apologized once Sides. That's all the femme is getting from me. Now if you don't mind I'd like to get some recharge," he replied coolly as he lay back down on the berth. He shuttered his optics again then relaxed as he heard Sideswipe move out of the doorway and into the living room of their quarters. He vented heavily as he forced himself to relax. He would figure out a way to make the femme see the error of her ways later. For now all he wanted was to forget that the day had even occurred.


	28. Barricade's Confession

**Yeah so I'm totally frustrated with school and my life in general at the moment. Thought I'd throw this up. I honestly don't know how long the next one is going to take because apparently Hurricane Sandy wants to come and eat us on the East Coast. So...yeah. Little more Brie/Jazz fluff cause when things go sour... anyways enjoy!**

* * *

Later that night Brie sat on the edge of her berth, troubled. She still didn't understand what had possessed her to say what she had to Sunstreaker. She was still scared of him; there was no doubt about it. So what in the hell had possessed her to speak to him like that?

"You should be recharging." Brie jumped and lifted her head to glance at the doorway. She found Barricade leaning against the frame, studying her. She vented softly.

"I know 'Cade I just…" her voice trailed off and he made a soft sound.

"You can't stop thinking about what happened," he finished. Brie nodded miserably. She heard him mutter something and watched him walk over to stand before her.

"While it might not have been the brightest thing you could have done it was effective. It shows Sunstreaker that you won't let yourself be pushed around anymore," he said quietly. Brie shook her head slightly.

"Still if you and Jazz hadn't been there I would have been in some serious trouble," she said quietly. Barricade crossed his arms over his chest as he fixed a piercing gaze on her.

"Do you really think any of the mechs in there would have allowed him to harm you?" he growled. Brie was silent for a moment.

"I…no," she finally replied. Barricade nodded his head sharply.

"I know it's still hard for you to trust but you know the Autobots won't harm you. They want to rescue the humans that Megatron has, not harm them," he said. Brie nodded, realizing the truth of his words. The Autobots had been nothing but kind to her. Optimus and Elita had adopted her as their own and Jazz…well he had taken it upon himself to share guardian duties with Barricade. She had nothing to fear from them…well outside of Sunny. Sensing her thoughts as he studied her face, Barricade smirked slightly.

"So…what do you think about Jazz?" he asked suddenly. Brie stared at him, startled. What had brought on that question?

"He's…nice…very funny," she finally replied cautiously. Barricade's smirk widened and Brie eyed him suspiciously. She had learned really quickly that Barricade plus smile equaled bad things. It didn't matter that he was her guardian it still equaled bad things.

"You don't mind being left alone with him do you? Because I still have a few things to clear up with Optimus," he said. Brie shook her head instantly.

"Not at all! I know he's as capable of protecting me as you are," she replied. Barricade studied her for a moment.

"Is that all you see him as? Somebot to protect you?" he asked. Again Brie stared at him in surprise.

"No! I'd like to think that he's a friend," she replied quickly. Barricade nodded, as if confirming something, before quickly turning stern again.

"You need to recharge. Don't make me call Ratchet," he growled. Brie quickly moved to lie back and offlined her optics. The last thing she wanted was Ratchet poking at her!

* * *

Barricade moved out of the room and back into the living room, pausing to study Jazz. The saboteur had made him swear to wake him in a few hours so he could take over the watching. Barricade snorted softly as he settled himself back down in a chair and fixed his optics on the doorway. He shuttered his optics briefly as he considered his options. In the end he decided to discuss it further with Elita. Maybe she could help him figure out how to help steer them in a direction that led to something more than friendship.

When Brie came online the next morning she heard the sound of music drifting quietly from the living room. She rolled off the berth and moved into the doorway, staring in surprise at the sight before her. She shuttered her optics then unshuttered them, but the scene remained the same.

Jazz was sitting on the couch, a cube of Energon in his hand. Another cube sat on the table and she knew that it was for her. The soft music flowed through the room and she watched as Jazz sipped at the Energon, his foot tapping softly to the music. He looked so serene, so at peace, that she was reluctant to disturb him.

"Come on in Brie. Ah got ya some Energon," Jazz called out suddenly, never taking his eyes off of the area he was studying. She walked over slowly, taking a seat on the couch beside him. She took the Energon that he handed her with a soft 'thank you' and sipped at it slowly. She felt him studying her and felt her face beginning to heat up, which still surprised her.

"'Cade says ya were havin' some trouble rechargin'," he said suddenly. Brie nodded slightly, forcing herself not to fidget as the events from the previous evening rushed back to her. She vented softly as she stared at the Energon in her hand. She thought that it would be best for her to remain in her quarters for the day. She didn't want to risk having another confrontation with Sunstreaker after making him angry again so soon.

"Yeah but after awhile I managed," she replied. Jazz frowned slightly at her words. He knew that she was bothered by how she had acted towards Sunstreaker. While it had been a bit dangerous it had also been the right thing to do. Brie needed to learn how to stick up for herself and that had been a good start. It was a shame that the fear and uncertainty that the 'Cons had forced into her had come back to haunt her.

"Brie…" Jazz trailed off as he set his own Energon down. He stood and began to pace, suddenly feeling nervous. Brie watched him silently, puzzled. It wasn't like the saboteur to be so…restless. Was he bored with her company?

"Dance with me," he said suddenly as he whirled around to face her. Brie 'blinked' then took another sip of her Energon as she tried to process his words. He wanted to dance with her?

"I…don't remember how to," she finally responded quietly. She had taken several classes to help her with her gymnastics but that had been so long ago that she wasn't sure she could remember the steps. She felt him take the Energon and set it on the table before tugging her gently to her feet. He led her out to a clear spot and suddenly spun her around before pulling her close to his body.

"Follow ma lead," he said as he began to move her into a series of intricate maneuvers. At first she stumbled, feeling clumsy. Jazz was patient though and soon Brie found herself moving almost effortlessly with him as memories came back to her. She laughed, feeling happy for the first time since she had been taken by the Cons. Jazz smiled as he watched her, his movements automatic. She looked so young at that moment, so carefree. She looked so…beautiful.

At that thought Jazz stumbled slightly and Brie looked at him in concern. He quickly recovered and as the music changed began to reintroduce her a different dance. Neither heard the sound of the door opening over the music and Barricade stared at the scene in surprise. Behind him, Optimus and Elita were equally as surprised. They began to smile as they exchanged looks. Jazz was definitely good for her.

It took several minutes for Jazz to register the sensation of being watched and he instinctively moved into a protective position as he gently nudged her behind him. Upon spotting Barricade and their unexpected guests he relaxed, though he felt uneasy about them having seen him dancing with Brie. He didn't know why, he just felt that that was a private moment that didn't need to be shared.

"Well 'Cade Ah see ya brought some guests," he smiled as he covered up his emotions with the usual cheery mask he donned. Brie peeked out from behind him and her optics lit up at the sight of Optimus and Elita. She moved around him and hurried over, allowing Elita to wrap her arms around her in a hug as Optimus placed a hand on her shoulder. Barricade moved to stand beside Jazz and smirked at the unamused glare that he received from the saboteur.

"Ya coulda told me that ya were bringin' them back with ya!" he hissed as he watched the trio talk quietly. Barricade chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Where would be the fun in that Autobot?" he replied. Jazz made a soft sound of annoyance but said nothing. Barricade decided to take his taunting up another notch.

"It looked like you were having fun," he murmured. Jazz tensed before he forced himself to relax. The mech was simply looking to get a rise out of him and Jazz was determined not to rise to his baiting.

"It's not like you to be caught off guard. You seem to be a lot here lately," Barricade continued, poking at the proverbial sleeping dog. This time Jazz couldn't help the small growl that escaped him and Barricade smirked in triumph.

"Yer pushin' yer luck 'Con," he hissed. Barricade shrugged as he watched Brie hesitate and glance back at them as Elita started to lead her out the door.

"Go on Brie we'll find you shortly. Jazz and I need to discuss…strategy," he called out. Brie nodded and followed after Elita, with Optimus following close behind after he shot the two mechs a knowing look. It was only after the door closed that Jazz whipped around to face Barricade with a dark look on his face.

"Just what are ya up to 'Cade?" he asked suspiciously. Barricade's words caught him off guard and sent a thrill of emotion through him that he pushed aside to analyze later.

"I'm simply testing you Jazz. I want to see if you're worthy of being her mate. Congratulations you're passing the test so far," he replied. He turned and strolled towards the door, exiting in triumph as the saboteur stared after him. He vented harshly as he trailed after the mech, his processor turning at his words. Him and Brie? Mates? Tests? He shook his head slightly, though the very notion refused to leave his processor. It was definitely something to think about.

* * *

Sunstreaker slammed the paint brush down as he threw the blank canvas to the floor. He stood and began to pace, anger rolling through him. Slag it the femme was still bothering him! He couldn't get her words out of his processor!

"Something got your wires in a twist Sunshine?" Sideswipe purred from the doorway. Sunstreaker snarled at him, his hands clenching into fists. Fragging glitch couldn't leave well enough alone!

"Maybe you need some Energon. Should we go to the rec room?" the silver mech continued with a smirk on his face. Oh how he loved to push his twin's buttons!

"Sideswipe so help me Primus if you don't SHUT UP…" the rest of the golden mech's words were lost in a primitive growl and Sideswipe decided that he had provoked him enough.

"Cool your jets Sunny I'll go get it for you," he chuckled. He was out the door before Sunstreaker could even move to tackle him and the angry frontliner resumed his pacing. He didn't know why he was letting the femme's words get to him. She was nothing but a former squishy that was posing as a Cybertronian femme! So why were her words suddenly making him feel like he needed to change her opinion of him?

* * *

Brie walked into the rec room and immediately looked around for her friends. Seeing no signs of Sam or Mikaela, she trailed off Elita as she made her way over to where Chromia and another femme were talking. She had learned that the other female was Arcee and she had been quick to offer to teach Brie anything she needed. Brie had nodded shyly and was now standing listening to them discussing different strategies for their next strike against the Cons. She eventually wandered away, moving to take a seat on the Autobot sized couch next to an elegant red mech that she recognized as Mirage. She hesitated for a moment. He was another one of those mechs that seemed to intimidate her without really trying. He hadn't done anything to her; she simply did not know how to interact with a mech that was as nice looking as he was.

"Hi," she finally said shyly. She saw him glance at her for a moment, appraising her, before a small smile crossed his lips.

"Hello Brianna," he replied, his Italian accented voice catching her attention. She had noticed that certain 'Bots and 'Cons had different accents and she wondered about that. Was it due to their alt modes? She wanted to ask but stilled her tongue. That would be rude and one thing she had learned was that rudeness wasn't acceptable.

"Mirage, right?" she asked and smiled as he nodded. She had actually remembered his name!

"You…were you at…" her voice trailed off and Mirage nodded again as he continued to study her. She was a lovely femme. He definitely did not want to see Megatron get his claws on her. She would never survive his attentions. She was lucky to have lasted as long as she did and the spy had no doubts that it was due to Barricade's careful watch.

"I was. I alerted Major Lennox and Sargent Epps to your whereabouts once Barricade told me you had left," he said smoothly. He saw the look of surprise that crossed her face before she bowed her head, her shyness and uncertainty overcoming her again.

"Thank you Mirage," she whispered.

"No thanks are needed Brianna. You did not deserve such a fate as you suffered. I am merely glad that I was able to help you escape a bad situation," he replied before standing. With a small elegant bow he walked off to get some more Energon. Brie watched him go before leaning back and allowing a small sound to escape her. Socializing was definitely a lot harder than she had even imagined.


	29. Jazz's Actions and A Plan Is Hatched

**One of my reviewers (my 201st I think) pointed out something that I missed in previous chapters. The first chapter I mentioned that Brie had a brother and never touched on it again. So...here's the newest wrinkle in Brie's path to happiness! So credit for the idea about Brie's brother belongs to Gaia Kame!**

**The next chapter will be a bit later I think. The year is winding down and I'm swamped with stuff for my creative writing class. Hopefully once school is out I'll have at least a few weeks to concentrate more on this fic before the next semester. Here's a bit more fluff before things get all out of whack LOL! Enjoy!**

* * *

One week later Brie was sure that she had done something wrong. Jazz seemed to be uneasy in her presence. More times than not he would mutter something about talking to Optimus and Prowl and dash out of her quarters, leaving her staring after him. She couldn't help the hurt she felt. If she had done something wrong why didn't he just say so?

Barricade watched this little dance with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. He had known that his words would throw the saboteur off his game but he hadn't realized the full extent of how it would affect him. He was going out of his way to avoid being alone with Brie and he could see just how much it was bothering her. He growled softly as Frenzy shook his head. Perhaps Jazz wasn't the best choice of mechs for her after all.

Jazz's skittishness around her wasn't the only thing that was upsetting Brie. She sat on the couch, staring blankly off into space as her cube of Energon sat untouched on the table. She felt her optics welling with tears and quickly ducked her head. While she knew that her parents were dead there was one person that was unaccounted for…her older brother.

He had been staying over at a friend's house the day that the Decepticons had attacked, discussing their plans for the night after graduation. She had prayed that he was safe, though she knew deep down inside that he had most likely been killed during the main attack. She placed a hand over her spark, which throbbed uncomfortably. What did it feel like for an Autobot to have their version of a human's broken heart?

"Do I need to call Ratchet?" Barricade's gruff voice pulled her from her broken thoughts and she quickly shook her head as she placed her hands back in her lap. Frenzy wandered over and his optics narrowed as he caught sight of the faint Energon tears lingering in her optics.

"W-Why y-y-you leaking?" he asked suddenly. Barricade stiffened and stalked over to stand before her. Surprisingly gentle, he tipped her head up and frowned.

"Something's bothering you," he said flatly. Brie said nothing for a moment, unsure as what to say. She was upset by both the realization that she didn't know what happened to her brother and Jazz's strange behavior. She just couldn't figure out why Jazz's actions should be bothering her as much as they did.

"I…just thinking about the past," she finally said quietly, deciding on avoiding the whole Jazz thing for the moment. Barricade looked slightly surprised, as if expecting to hear something else, before resuming his usual grumpy expression as he waited for her to continue.

"I…had a brother. He wasn't there with us…that night. I wish I knew what had happened to him," she whispered as her optics began to water again. Frenzy looked alarmed at the sight as Barricade frowned thoughtfully.

"Perhaps I can ask Optimus to look into it. I need some details," he replied slowly. Brie gave him a grateful smile as she rattled off a vague description of what he had looked like and his name. Barricade opened a comm link to Optimus and sent him the information, receiving a confirmation that he would look into it as soon as possible. That taken care of, he turned his attention back to her. He knew that that wasn't the only thing bothering her.

"What else is bothering you?" he asked. Brie quickly dropped her head but Barricade was having none of that. He tipped her head up again until her blue optics met his red ones and simply waited. Brie fidgeted for a moment before venting softly.

"Did…did I do something wrong?" she asked suddenly. Barricade frowned then silently cursed the small saboteur. After all of their hard work he was now sending her back down into the pit of self-doubt that she had been in! Before he could answer the door opened and the mech that he had been dreaming of 'sparring' with bounced into the room. He paused for a moment, the optics underneath his visor flickering from Barricade to Brie and back and a pang of jealousy shot through him.

"So, am Ah missin' somethin'?" he asked as he strolled over to plop down on the couch beside Brie. He noted that Barricade was slow to remove his hand from her chin and his visor darkened briefly. Barricade shot him a look that was partly annoyed, partly smug before turning and stalking towards the door.

"I'm going to go grab some fresh Energon," he growled before exiting the room. Brie was startled by his abrupt disappearance then realized that she had been left alone with Jazz for the first time in a few days. She fidgeted on the couch nervously, avoiding his gaze. She still didn't know what she had done wrong.

"What's wrong Brie?" Jazz asked suddenly as he watched her squirm. She didn't answer and he silently cursed as he realized how his actions had looked. He had been running off to talk with Optimus and Elita about Barricade's words and training Brie, deciding to leave Prowl out of the loop, and not spending any time with her. She probably thought that he didn't want to be around her!

"Nothing," she replied quietly as she continued to avoid his gaze. She forced herself not to flinch as she felt a clawed hand, so deadly when facing a Decepticon, gently grip her chin and tilt her head up to meet his gaze. The gesture wasn't lost on Brie and she wondered if he had been jealous at the scene he had walked in on.

"Don' lie ta me," he said firmly. He watched indecision flicker in Brie's optics before she sagged slightly.

"I just…did I do something wrong Jazz?" she asked meekly. Jazz vented softly.

"Nah ya didn' Brie Ah just…" his voice trailed off as he shuttered his optics briefly. Why hadn't he stopped to take into consideration her feelings when he was trying to sort through his own confused ones?

"Then why have you been avoiding me?" she asked and this time she was unable to keep the hurt out of her voice. Jazz cursed himself again as he debated on the best way to show her just how interested in her he was. He finally decided that the best way, in his mind, was to show her just how much he trusted her.

"Brie, Ah've been a glitch. Ah'm…interested in yah; more interested than yer probably ready fer though. Ta show ya just how interested Ah am, Ah'm gonna do somethin' that Ah've only done fer Ratch and that was fer medical reasons. Ah trust ya," he said quietly as with a soft click he retracted his visor and allowed his brilliant blue optics to gaze squarely into hers. Brie was speechless even as her Spark leapt in joy.

"J-Jazz…why…" this time it was her turn to be left speechless and the saboteur chuckled softly.

"Why tha visor? It helps meh maintain mah mysterious air," he smirked. Brie giggled even as she kept her optics locked onto his, mesmerized by the sincere interest and apology she saw flickering within his own.

"Thank you for trusting me Jazz," she whispered. Jazz merely smiled as he touched his helm to hers. He knew he should tell her about the training he had set up for her but he would approach that subject later. Right now he was simply content to remain where he was. He couldn't think of a better way to spend his time.

* * *

Megatron gazed down at the lean human male before him, his red optics thoughtful. Ravage had heard him talking with another guard recently about his lost sister and the name had immediately caught the cat mimic's attention. He had relayed the information to Soundwave, who then relayed it to Megatron. Megatron had had a sullen Starscream bring him to the throne room before waving a hand dismissively at his SIC and turning his attention to the nervous young male.

"Human, what is your designation?" he growled suddenly. The human stared at the ground and appeared to momentarily forget his own name before he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Michael Thorne is my name Lord Megatron," he replied, his voice calm and steady despite the nervousness that the Decepticon leader could see in his body. He nodded slightly in approval. The human was properly submissive and a suddenly very valuable tool. If he achieved the results that Megatron wanted he might even be rewarded.

"Michael, I have heard that you have a sister, am I correct?" he asked. Michael started to nod then abruptly checked his movement.

"Yes Lord Megatron I do have a sister. I don't know if she is still alive though," he replied, his voice pained. Megatron smirked as he leaned back on his throne and pressed the tips of his claws together. Yes, this was going to play out nicely.

"What is her name? Perhaps she is here or someone has heard about her," he said. Michael tensed briefly as hope coursed through his veins but just as quickly relaxed again. It had been too long; surely she had been killed in the attack.

"Brianna Thorne is her name Lord Megatron," he replied. There was a hushed silence and Michael felt his heart begin to race as the mech spoke.

"I do recall hearing about a Brianna Thorne. In fact, she was in my care and receiving some much needed medical treatments," Megatron replied. It took all of Michael's self-control to keep his eyes fixed on the ground instead of flying up to stare at the Decepticon leader. His sister was here! He frowned as Megatron's words suddenly penetrated his excitement.

"I don't understand Lord Megatron. She was here? She isn't anymore?" he asked cautiously. Megatron's smirk widened though Michael couldn't see it. Oh yes, this was going to work out just fine.

"I'm afraid she was abducted by a traitor, Barricade. He took her to the Autobots. Who knows what kinds of experiments they're running on her?" he purred. At his words Michael's head snapped up, his horrified gaze meeting the red optics of the mech gazing at him unconsciously. Megatron ignored the small breach of conduct. After all he had set out to provoke just such a reaction from the human.

"Do…Do you know where they are…Lord Megatron?" he asked as he suddenly realized his mistake and dropped his eyes again. Megatron let the silence draw out just long enough to have Michael squirming before answering.

"We know the approximate location of their base but not the exact location," he replied. Michael was quiet.

"I want to find her Lord Megatron. Allow me to infiltrate the Autoscum's base so we can rescue my sister before it's too late," he growled. Megatron could barely stifle the menacing chuckle that threatened to erupt. Humans were so predictable, especially when it came to family.

"I believe we can work something out Michael," he purred. He motioned to Soundwave, who came forward. As Megatron began to explain their plan Michael felt a cold anger fill him. Those monsters had taken his sister and they were going to pay!

* * *

When Barricade slipped back into the room silently he paused to take in the scene before him, a rare true smile gracing his face. Brie was nestled up into Jazz's side, her head resting on his shoulder as she recharged. Jazz had his head resting on hers and the ex-Con was startled to see that he had retracted his visor. He slipped back out of the room, deciding to let the saboteur know he was coming. He had a feeling that it wouldn't be him seeing Brie so close to him that would set him off but the thought of Barricade seeing him with his visor retracted. He wasn't glitched enough to know that for him to do that he had a great deal of trust and interest in Brie; an interest that he obviously didn't want to push upon the femme so quickly.

**::Hey Autobot I'm coming in,::** he commed. There was a brief pause before Jazz answered, his voice holding a silent appreciation for the warning.

**::Bout slaggin' time ya got back 'Con,::** he replied. Barricade chuckled as he palmed the door open and stepped inside. As he thought, Brie was still nestled up against the saboteur, deep in recharge. The only change had been Jazz lowering his visor again even as he lifted his head.

"How long has she been in recharge?" he asked as he walked over to take a seat in a chair across from the couch. Jazz looked thoughtful for a moment.

"'Bout an hour or two Ah think. We need ta talk 'bout her trainin'," Jazz said. Barricade nodded as he leaned back.

"I've spoken to Optimus they have the area cleared where she can learn how to drive her alt mode. That needs to be the first thing," he said firmly. Jazz nodded.

"Ah agree. After that we can have 'Hide teach her how ta fire a gun. As fer hand ta hand combat we can do that ourselves," he said. Barricade nodded.

"I'll rope in your yellow scout. He's…good," Barricade muttered. Jazz laughed.

"Handed yer aft ta ya has he? Ah agree with yer choice. Now, Ah'm goin' back inta recharge maself. Try not ta make too much noise," he smirked. Barricade extended a finger, as he had seen the humans do, and Jazz chuckled softly. He laid his head back on Brie's and allowed his systems to power down. He knew that as long as Barricade was around he wouldn't let anything disturb them. One last thought floated through his processor before he succumbed to his own recharge.

_'Who'd ever thought Ah'd trust a 'Con with ma life?'_


	30. Training and the Bait Is Introduced

**Thirty chapters! My does time fly LOL. I have no idea how many chapters this is going to end up being. I'll know when the muses tell me LOL. So since I had a day off from work and I've been extremely frustrated with school work I decided to get this done and posted. No timeline for the next chapter though. So good music plus frustration equals productivity! I want to thank all my new followers and people who favorited this fic. It makes me happy to know that so many people actually like my writing =)**

* * *

Brie was exhausted. Jazz and Barricade had roused her from recharge to immediately begin her training. First it was driving lessons, something which she had actually found quite amusing. She had gotten the hang of it pretty quickly and was soon zipping around the course with an agility and speed that seemed to satisfy both mechs. Then came the hard part…

"Come on Brie ya have ta get up! Tha 'Cons won' stop and let ya take a break!" Jazz said sternly as he stood over her. Brie glared up at him but made no attempt to move from where she had collapsed. Why were they pushing her so hard?

"I'm tired Jazz!" she snapped as she remained on the floor. She let out a small startled squeak as she was hauled to her feet by Barricade and moved into a fighting stance.

"Once we're through for the day you can rest! Right now you need to learn to defend yourself," he growled. Irritation and exhaustion caused Brie to strike out instinctively and she heard Jazz yelp as her punch connected squarely with him. She stared at him in surprise as he fell back onto the floor. Barricade burst out laughing even as Jazz grinned.

"That was great Brie! Ya didn' even hesitate!" he chuckled as he rolled to his feet. Brie eyed him warily before glancing at her hand. She had to admit that it had been a bit satisfying to knock Jazz down, simply because he was irritating her.

"Do it again," Barricade growled. Brie whirled around and glared at him before striking out. He easily ducked her blow and she found herself lying on her back again, staring up at both the ex-Con and the saboteur.

"Don't telegraph your move next time. You won't always get lucky enough to catch a mech off guard. Get up and try again," he said coolly. Brie huffed as she climbed to her feet and moved into the fighting stance they had shown her. For several minutes the sound of metal striking metal and Brie's curses as she was time and time again sent to the ground filled the room until finally Jazz called a halt to the proceedings.

"Ya've done well today. How about ya watch 'Cade and Ah go at it for a bit? Bee should be here shortly and ya can watch him hand 'Cade his aft," Jazz grinned. Brie perked up at that even as Barricade shot the smaller mech a dark look.

"Why not let her see how _real_ warriors fight?" Brie jumped at the sound of the voice and her head whipped around to see Sunstreaker and Sideswipe lounging in the doorway. Barricade and Jazz stiffened as they moved to protect the fragile young femme.

"What are ya two slaggers doin' here?" Jazz growled. Sunstreaker smirked as Sideswipe shook his head.

"Now is that anyway to talk to friends?" Sideswipe replied in mock hurt voice. Barricade snorted.

"Friends my aft. What do you really want?" Barricade snapped. Sunstreaker's smirk dropped as his optics took on an icy sheen.

"The femme does need to learn to defend herself. Why not let two of the best fighters the Autobots have help?" he said coolly. This time Jazz snorted derisively.

"Ah think we can handle this…_Sunny_," he growled. Sunstreaker took a step forward before visibly reining himself in. He didn't wish to humiliate himself any further by losing a genuine aft kicking in front of the infuriating femme.

"I'm here Jazz!" Bee suddenly chirped as he shoved past the two frontliners and bounced into the room. Brie's optics brightened at the sight of him.

"I didn't realize that your voice was fixed!" she exclaimed with a smile. Bee ducked his head in amusement.

"Yeah just got it fixed this morning. You up for some sparring 'Cade?" Bee replied as he turned to the ex-Con. Barricade scowled at the hint of amusement in the scout's voice as he pushed away from the wall.

"You ready to take a pounding?" he shot back. Bumblebee merely laughed as they moved to the center of the room. Jazz moved to stand beside Brie, keeping a close optic on the two mechs who were still lingering in the doorway. As Barricade and Bumblebee began to spar Jazz narrowed his optics as he stared at the too quiet and still frontliners.

_'Just what are ya two up ta?'_

* * *

"All right human here's about where we narrowed down their location. Remember that we will be monitoring you so you don't even want to think about betraying us," Sideways growled as he opened the door to allow the young male to climb out. Michael had to fight the urge to snap a response back. He didn't want to be squished just when his sister was within his grasp.

"Don't worry I don't want to risk my sister's health," he replied dryly. Megatron had made it clear that the long Brie was missing her 'treatments' the more danger she was in health wise. He scowled as he shouldered his bag and watched the sporty Decepticon speed off. Why hadn't anyone been watching the 'Con that had been watching over her?

He began to walk, his thoughts wandering. He recalled that fateful day and despite himself a shudder wracked his form. How he wished he had known what was going to happen! He would never have left Brie or their parents unprotected!

_Michael and James had settled down on the couch, a pizza and illegal beer parked between them. They were discussing plans for the night of their graduation; well they were supposed to be. Instead he was listening to James badger him about being set up on a date with Brie, and telling him quite firmly that it wasn't going to happen. Before he could settle the debate in a very emphatic manner explosions outside rocked the house. They jumped up and rushed out the door and stared in shock at the scene that greeted them._

_ Michael's first thought upon seeing the rampaging robots was he needed to get home. He began to take a step off the porch only to be grabbed by James. He shook him off and again took a step off…and yelped as he was suddenly grabbed by a huge hand and raised up to a pair of blood red optics._

_ "Do you wish to give up or should I just squish you now?" the mech that he now knew was called Sideways growled. Making a split decision, hoping that he would be able to find Brie, he licked his lips before speaking._

_ "I wish to pledge my loyalty to you," he replied smoothly. The mech nodded in approval before turning his attention to James, who quickly recited the same thing. Sideways nodded in approval before setting them down and pushing them towards a bus that was already loaded with other men and teenagers. As they climbed inside Michael could only hope that Brie was safe. He would find her again no matter how long it took._

Michael came to a stop in the town that, unknown to him, Brie had been found in by Will and Epps. He pulled out the crude map that he had been provided and studied it. He took a sip of the water he had been thoughtfully provided before tucking it back into his bag and starting out again. If the Autobots were around surely they would pick up on his signal. After that…he would save his sister even if it meant finding a way to take out the monsters that were holding Brie hostage.

* * *

Brie was impressed. Barricade and Bumblebee were going all out, neither being able to gain the advantage. She studied their movements and committed them to memory. She had taken gymnastics before the invasion. Some of the moves looked similar to the movements she practiced on the balance beam.

"Bravo," Sunstreaker's sarcastic voice called out as the two mechs broke apart and ended their match. Jazz scowled as Barricade turned to face them, a snarl etched on his face. Even Bumblebee was staring at the twins in a disapproving manner as they moved into the room.

"Huh, that was pretty decent," Sideswipe smirked. Brie stared at the silver twin in shock. What the hell was he doing?

"Ah'd say that was more than 'decent' Sides," Jazz growled. Sideswipe turned his head slightly and his smirk widened.

"Tell you what, why don't you and Barricade face off against us? Are you…scared?" he taunted. Brie quickly gazed at Jazz, whose visor was a dark shade of red. It was almost as red as Barricade's optics, a sight that she had never expected to see.

"It's not gonna work Sideswipe," Jazz's voice was cold and Brie shivered. She could only imagine that this was how he sounded when interrogating someone. Sunstreaker laughed derisively.

"Should have figured he would be scared. He got lucky the last time he took us on. Maybe Brie needs new guardians," he scoffed. In an instant Barricade and Jazz were standing before the twins, their engines revving aggressively. Bumblebee quickly moved to stand beside Brie, prepared to protect and take her out if things turned ugly.

"You just don't know when to quit do you?" Barricade growled even as he and Jazz moved back slightly in a silent acceptance of the Twins' challenge. Sunstreaker smirked as Sideswipe rubbed his hands together in glee.

"We do actually…just not when we know we're right," Sideswipe laughed. The four mechs moved further into the room and Brie allowed Bumblebee to pull her closer to the doorway as she stared at the scene. She had no worries about Barricade or Jazz's fighting abilities. What she couldn't figure out is just exactly what the Twins were up to.

Without warning the two frontline mechs moved, little more than a blur as Sunstreaker focused his first concentrated attack on the ex-Con as Sideswipe went after Jazz. Brie jumped as the sound of metal clashing against metal rang out. She shuttered her optics briefly before bringing them back to the sight of Barricade as he successfully held Sunstreaker's blade at bay while Jazz grappled with Sideswipe.

"This is hand to hand you glitches!" Barricade growled. Sunstreaker smirked.

"No one told us that," he purred as he easily pulled his blade from Barricade's grasp and retracted it. Jazz moved to stand beside Barricade, his visor darker than Brie had ever seen it.

"Well now ya know. Ya can either play by tha rules or leave 'fore things get ugly," he snarled. Sideswipe laughed.

"Now Jazz, don't get your wires in an uproar. You want Brie to learn how to fight, don't you?" he snickered. Brie frowned. She didn't want to be drug into whatever beef the Twins had with Barricade and Jazz.

"Are we though Jazz? I'd like to get some Energon and go rest," she called out softly. Jazz nodded abruptly and Bumblebee quickly escorted her from the room. They had barely gotten a few steps down the hallway when the sound of cursing and violent fighting broke out and she vented softly as she shook her head while Bumblebee commed for Ratchet. She had a feeling that she might be spending the evening alone. Perhaps it would give her time to sort through her muddled feelings for Jazz.


	31. Lectures and Infiltration

**Another chapter for you guys! They're coming together slowly but surely, though some things might not make sense. Bear with me as I attempt to get them straightened out LOL. Sometimes they work out much better in my head and lose something in the transfer from there to paper. Oh I do believe in a previous chapter after she had finally made the change it was revealed that she could assume her human form, though she really hasn't had a reason to...yet =D Just keep that in mind for future chapters.**

* * *

"What the SLAG did you do to each other?" Ratchet snarled as he stared at the injuries on the four mechs in the med bay. Jazz was silent and Barricade was glaring at the two frontliners, who were looking surprisingly pleased with themselves; despite the fact that they had taken one hell of a beating at the hands of the ex-Con and the saboteur.

"Just a sparring session that got out of hand," Sunstreaker said coolly as he eyed the scratches and dents on his armor with annoyance. Ratchet merely stared at him before turning his attention to Jazz.

"What kind of a sparring session was it?" he snapped as he disregarded the two terrors sitting on the berth and focused his attention on the smaller mech. Jazz looked up and tried to smile, though the effort came off more as a grimace.

"Just a chance to work out some new moves 'fore takin' 'em ta tha Cons," he replied. Ratchet shook his head again as he began to patch up the various cuts on the small mech as Barricade continued to glare at Sunstreaker. Oh that glitch was definitely going to get more than what he bargained for the next time they 'sparred'.

"Yeah…I'm sure," the medic muttered. He quickly finished and stepped back, turning his attention to Barricade. Sensing his attention, the mech scowled.

"I'm fine," he growled.

"Hey Ratchet what about us!" Sideswipe called out indignantly. As far as he was concerned they should have first priority over the damn 'Con! Ratchet absently grabbed a wrench and threw it, smiling in satisfaction as he heard it hit its mark and the loud snarled curse from the now even more dented frontliner.

"Since I'm sure you slaggers had something to do with this you can wait!" he snapped back over his shoulder. He did a quick examination of Barricade, much to his displeasure, and discovered that the mech's self-repair system was already at work. Satisfied that he was doing ok, Ratchet finally turned his attention to the sulking Twins.

"You two can leave while I attend to these two," Ratchet said firmly. Neither Jazz nor Barricade had to be told twice. They were out the door so fast that Ratchet could barely see them. He gave a soft snort. It wasn't the first time that mechs had left his med bay so fast that they were little more than a blur. His expression darkened as he turned his attention to Sideswipe, who cringed. Suddenly having the Hatchet's attention focused on him wasn't such a good idea.

* * *

"Major Lennox we have something on radar," a soldier helping to monitor the security cameras said suddenly. Will frowned as he approached, watching as Red Alert studied the monitor anxiously. It obviously wasn't a Decepticon; Red wouldn't be so calm. He just hoped that it wasn't a deer or something like that.

Will leaned down to peer over the soldier's shoulder and his frown deepened. There was an unfamiliar human wandering around where their old base had been. He couldn't help the uneasy feeling that crawled down his spine. Could it possibly be a 'Con spy? It was almost too much of a coincidence given that the 'Cons had recently driven them out of their old base and into their current one.

"When did he show up?" he asked as he straightened. He would take Epps and Ironhide to investigate. You couldn't be too careful.

"About ten minutes ago. He seems to be searching for something," the soldier said. Will nodded as his suspicions grew. The male had to be looking for their base.

"Good job soldier. Red, I'm going to go check it out with Epps and Ironhide," he called out. He saw the security director nod as he exited the room, running into Epps.

"Hey Will what's going on?" Epps asked, concerned by the look he saw on his friend's face. Will motioned for him to follow him as he began to head for the rec room, where he knew Ironhide was.

"Red picked up an unknown human poking around our old base. Figured we'd go check it out," he replied. Epps stiffened.

"You think it's a 'Con spy?" he asked. Will shrugged.

"It's a possibility. It's kind of funny that he would show up so shortly after the 'Cons forced us to move," he replied as he entered the rec room. Will spotted Ironhide and made a beeline for him, Epps following close behind him.

"Hey Will," Chromia called out as she spotted him. Will waved and the femme frowned. It was obvious that he was concerned about something.

"Hey 'Hide we need to go check something out," he said as he stopped before the two Autobots. Ironhide knelt down, concerned.

"What's wrong? You spot 'Cons?" he asked as his cannons whirled. Will chuckled despite his concern and patted the mech on his large arm.

"Nah just an unknown human poking around where they shouldn't be. Figured we'd go take a look. Want to come Chromia? In case 'Hide needs backup?" he asked. Chromia smirked as Ironhide looked offended.

"I don't need backup!" he growled. Chromia narrowed her optics and Ironhide suddenly realized that he had put himself in what the humans called 'the doghouse' with his words.

"Is that so?" she purred in a dangerous tone. Will and Epps quickly moved back, both trying to hide their laughter as they watched the weapons specialist try to calm his irate mate down. Finally they saw the mech throw up his hands in defeat as Chromia smirked.

"Well now that we have that settled, shall we go?" she said. Will nodded and turned to leave the room, with Epps and the two Autobots following close behind. If it was simply a lost human who had managed to escape 'Con captivity then they would gladly give them a place to stay. If they were a spy…well they were in for one hell of a surprise.

* * *

"Damn it where are they?" Michael growled under his breath. He studied the map that Megatron had provided him with a frown. The Decepticon leader swore that this was the approximate location of the Autobot base. Had they moved?

"Brie, where are you?" he muttered, his concern overriding his anger for the moment. He closed his eyes tight, his heart heavy. He had lost hope of ever seeing her again, until Megatron had learned of his connection to the very female that had been stolen out of his protective care. Now that he knew that she was still alive, or that she had been up to the point that the dirty traitor had kidnapped her, he would do everything in his power to find her.

The sound of a rumbling engine caught his attention and he turned to face the direction he had just come from. He quickly ripped up the map and threw it to the ground and waited, watching as a black GMC Topkick pickup truck and a purple Suzuki B-King motorcycle came into view. He could make out two males inside of the truck and knew that they were a part of the humans that were dedicated to wiping out the Decepticons to allow the evil Autobots to gain control.

_'Lord Megatron was right. Their base is somewhere around here,'_ he thought as he watched the truck come to a stop and the two males climb out. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, prepared to go into his story. It was a good thing that he had taken drama classes in school for fun.

"Stop right there," Will growled as Michael began to take a step forward. Michael obediently stopped in his tracks, pasting a puzzled look on his face. It appeared that they were going to be a bit more of a challenge than he thought.

"What's your name?" Epps growled as he moved closer to the unknown male, his hand hovering over his gun. The male blinked in surprise as he shifted his bag before answering.

"Michael…Michael Thorne," he replied. Will and Epps exchanged looks.

"What are you doing here Michael?" Will asked. Michael fought the urge to simply knock one of the soldiers out and take the other one hostage to get to their base. It would only net him trouble, especially since he was aware of the way the two Autobots were watching him intently even though they were still in their alt mode.

"I've been walking for I don't know how long. I managed to escape the Decepticons but didn't know where to go. I had heard rumors about the Autobots being somewhere close by," he replied. He forced the faintest note of exhaustion and fear into his voice and watched as the two men hesitated.

"You're lying human." The growled words legitimately startled Michael and he jumped as he turned to face the Topkick. He stiffened but forced himself to relax. As long as he could convince the two soldiers he was no threat who cared what the damn Autobot thought?

"Why do you think that?" he asked, keeping his voice puzzled. He realized that the truck was obviously communicating with the motorcycle and waited patiently.

"There's more to your story than you're saying," Chromia said flatly. Michael shrugged slightly. If they chose not to believe him then that was their problem. It would only make it that much sweeter in the end when he got Brie away from them and the Decepticons destroyed them once and for all.

"Easy you two. Come with us Michael. We'll take you to the Autobot leader and let him decide what to do with you," Will said firmly. Michael nodded and followed him obediently, careful to keep his face set in a thankful expression even as he silently rejoiced. He was one step closer to finding his sister!

* * *

Brie laid on her berth, staring up at the ceiling. Bumblebee had escorted her to her quarters before leaving to check on how Jazz and Barricade were. She couldn't help but be worried. The noises she had heard as Bumblebee had escorted her away from the training room were still in her processor. They were definitely more than just 'sparring' noises.

She heard the door of her quarters open then close and knew that Jazz and Barricade were back. For a moment she was tempted to go join them but decided against it. She was exhausted. The fact that she had just gotten comfortable played a factor in her decision as well.

"Brie?" Jazz's voice called out softly from the doorway and she vented softly.

"I'm awake, Jazz," she replied even as she remained on the berth. She heard him moving closer and turned her head slightly to gaze at him. She winced at the sight of the multitude of scratches and dents in his armor.

"Looks like a rough sparring session," she said quietly. Jazz chuckled softly.

"Yeah ya could say that. Ya need some Energon," he replied as he extended a clawed hand to her. Brie slowly took it and allowed him to help her off the berth and to her feet. Perhaps a little Energon wouldn't hurt before she went into recharge.

She followed him into the living room, gazing at Barricade in surprise. Though he was dented and dinged up it seemed less than the marks that Jazz had. Had the Twins managed to get the jump on Jazz? Sensing her attention, Barricade turned towards her with a slight smirk.

"As you can see femme Jazz needs a bit more training as well," he chuckled. His smirk widened at the snarl that Jazz sent his way as he helped a suddenly amused Brie onto the couch. He pressed the cube of Energon into her hand as he took a seat next to her, pausing to glare at the ex-Con.

"There's nothin' wrong with mah fightin' skills," he growled in irritation. Barricade opened his mouth to reply then closed it again, though he continued to chuckle. Sometimes it was just too easy to rile up the small saboteur.

"I really hope that the Twins got the worst of it," Brie said as she sipped at the Energon. Jazz smirked as Barricade nodded.

"They're still with tha Hatchet," Jazz replied as Barricade snorted.

"One of these days Jazz he's going to take one of those wrenches and shove it up your tail pipe," Barricade pointed out as he took a seat in a chair with his own Energon. This time it was Jazz's turn to laugh.

"He has ta catch meh first," he replied cheekily. Brie giggled as she leaned back. Listening to them bicker always helped to cheer her up. Who would have known that an Autobot and an ex-Decepticon could manage to strike up a friendship?

* * *

Michael allowed himself to be led into the base, the blindfold tied snugly over his eyes. He wasn't worried; Soundwave had a tracker hidden on him that would let them know exactly where the base was located. It was a shame that he didn't realize that Red Alert had set up measures to prevent just such a thing from happening, thus rendering the small device useless.

He was pulled to a stop abruptly and felt his bag being removed from his shoulder. He stood still, knowing that the two soldiers were rifling through his bag. He was glad that he had managed to get rid of the map before they had gotten to him. The sound of rumbling footsteps drew closer and for a moment Michael felt a sense of fear slither through him. He quickly shoved it away and stood tall. He was Michael Thorne, proud Decepticon soldier, and fear was not an option!

His blindfold was removed and Michael had to blink a few times as his eyes began to adjust to the current lighting. He heard movement and glanced up and his eyes widened as he found himself staring into the metallic face of Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots.

"Major Lennox tells me that you managed to escape from the Decepticons," he said. Michael could distinctly hear the suspicion underneath the gentle rumble of his voice and knew that this was going to be a true test of his skills. His life, and Brie's, depended on him convincing the Autobot leader to allow him to stay.

"Yes sir. I waited until the Decepticons were in a meeting with Megatron before I slipped away," he replied. Optimus' optics narrowed. Ironhide and Will were right to be suspicious. The human was lying. The question was why?

"What is your name?" he asked. His face showed his surprise as the male spoke.

"Michael…Michael Thorne."


	32. Shared Suspicions

**Another chapter for you! I can't tell you how much it thrills me to know that so many people are enjoying my writing! It definitely helps turn a horrible day into something much better =) That being said the next chapter should hopefully be done soon. The semester is winding down so I need to spend a bit more time making sure that I actually pass these classes LOL. Oh and as a reminder for future chapters, she can assume human form if she so desires to. She just hasn't really had the desire to at the moment =)**

* * *

Barricade frowned. He didn't know why but he had a sinking feeling that something was coming. He stood as he paced the room, his thoughts turning restlessly. Brie had slipped into recharge quite some time ago and Jazz had slipped out in response to a com from Optimus. The ex-Con couldn't shake the feeling that his uneasiness stemmed from that call.

The sound of the door sliding open caught his attention and he quickly turned, tensing. He relaxed slightly as he saw that it was just Jazz, though the look on the smaller mech's face served to deepen his unease. Whatever Optimus had told him was obviously bothering the saboteur.

"Will and Epps picked up a new human," he said slowly. Barricade waited expectantly.

"Well what's so unusual about that? We knew that there had to be some humans that had been hiding out in various places for quite some time now," he growled when Jazz appeared to have lost track of what he was saying. Jazz jerked slightly and Barricade realized that he was truly disturbed by what he had learned.

"He claims ta have escaped from tha 'Cons," he continued. Barricade twitched slightly. He knew that without help no one escaped from the Decepticons. Anyone caught trying was either executed immediately or, in a female's case, worked to death. So for a human male to show up and claim to have escaped was more than a bit suspicious and alarming.

"Did he say who he was?" Barricade asked. Perhaps if he heard the name he would be able to point out for sure if he was a spy or not. Jazz vented softly as he began to pace.

"Said his name is Michael Thorne. Claims ta be related ta Brie. Course we didn' tell him that she was here," he finished. Barricade stiffened as soon as he heard the name. Brie had said that she had a brother by that name.

"I need to speak to Optimus," he said quickly as he moved towards the door. Jazz reached out and quickly grabbed him, ignoring Barricade's dark glare.

"What do ya know?" he asked. Barricade shook his head and muttered a soft curse. He turned his head and, after making sure that Brie was still in her room, answered Jazz's question.

"Brie said that she had a brother by that name. It's no coincidence that he's showing up now," he growled. Jazz quickly let him go and watched as he exited the room, his face troubled. He turned his attention to the room where Brie was recharging peacefully and a dark look crossed his face.

_'Ah don' know where ya came from human or if yer even who ya claim ta be but Ah'm not gonna let ya hurt mah Brie. If it means makin' sure that ya quietly 'disappear' so be it.'_

* * *

Michael remained sitting as the debate raged on a few feet away. He was well aware of the fact that the Autobots were suspicious of him. He made himself appear worried and anxious as several dark glares were cast his way. The most suspicious of them all was Red Alert, though given what he had heard about that particular 'Bot that didn't mean anything. The mech was so paranoid even a speck of dust was considered a threat.

A silence fell over the small group of mechs as another mech appeared. He turned his head and his eyes widened as he watched the Decepticon known as Barricade stalk past him and up to the Autobot leader. He cursed as he ducked his head. He had seen the mech around but he wasn't sure if Barricade had ever seen him. He could only cross his fingers and hope that he didn't manage to place him on sight.

Barricade was well aware of the human's eyes on him but made no sign that he was aware of him. He was more confident than ever that the male was a spy. He seemed familiar but Barricade couldn't place just exactly where or when he had seen him. All he knew was that Brie needed to be protected from him at all costs. Brother or no brother he wasn't about to let Brie be placed back into Megatron's hands to suffer a fate that no female should ever have to suffer.

**::Optimus, I have a good feeling that the human is a spy,::** Barricade said over a private com link. The Autobot leader nodded slightly in acknowledgment of his words.

**::As do I, though you did say that she had a brother with that name,::** he replied as he cast a careful glance on the small human, who was watching them with a calculating expression that Optimus hadn't been expecting. Sensing the Autobot leader's gaze, Michael quickly schooled his features back into the anxious look that he had had since the Autobots had gathered.

**::I don't want her alone with him,::** Barricade growled as he glared at Michael. To his surprise the human was unfazed, the narrowing of his eyes the only sign that he was acknowledging his silent warning.

**::Agreed. I trust that Jazz knows,:: **he said. Barricade nodded.

**::He's with her now,:: **he replied.

"Hey what's going on here? You two having a private party?" Sideswipe's cheeky voice broke into their silent conversation and Barricade growled in irritation. He was slightly surprised to find that Sunstreaker wasn't paying any attention to him. Instead he was staring at the human male with such a look of loathing and distrust that even Barricade twitched slightly. To his credit Michael never even flinched, choosing to ignore the golden mech attempting to glare a hole through him and remaining focused on Barricade and Optimus.

Barricade shook his head as he exchanged a look with Optimus. He didn't want the troublemaking Twins to know if it could be helped. Unfortunately it looked like he was going to have to let them in on what was going on and if they wanted to help it was up to them.

"Sunstreaker, Sideswipe can we talk to you?" Optimus said quietly. Sunstreaker gazed at Optimus suspiciously before glaring at Barricade. Sideswipe merely looked curious.

Following Optimus, the three mechs moved into a room further down the hallway. Optimus had no concerns about the human escaping; Ironhide and Prowl were keeping a close eye on him and Red Alert had him on constant video surveillance.

"All right we're here. What's up?" Sideswipe asked after Optimus closed the door. Barricade hesitated and Optimus decided to take the lead.

"I know you two don't exactly care for Brie," he began. Sunstreaker glanced away, seemingly bored, as Sideswipe frowned.

"We never said that. We just…don't know what to think," he finally replied. Barricade waved a hand negligently.

"We can discuss that later. Listen, that human says he's Brie's brother," Barricade growled. Sunstreaker crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall.

"So what does that have anything to do with us?" he asked in a bored voice. Optimus glared at the mech slightly, though he could see underneath the stance the golden mech was interested in hearing what he had to say.

"We think he's a Decepticon spy and he's here to make sure Brie goes back to Megatron," Optimus said. Sunstreaker immediately pushed away from the wall, optics glittering dangerously. Sideswipe made a soft sound of anger and both mechs turned their attention onto Barricade. Before either could speak Optimus went on.

"Before you even start Barricade is not going to betray us," he growled. The two frontliners muttered something but settled back.

"You want us to help keep an eye on him," Sideswipe said. Optimus nodded.

"What about the femme?" Sunstreaker added. Barricade glared at him briefly.

"I believe that Jazz and I have that covered," he growled. Sunstreaker snorted.

"But what about if you're not around?" he asked coolly. Barricade's optics narrowed.

"Sunstreaker, you've done nothing but terrorize the femme. What makes you think that she would even want you around?" Optimus asked bluntly. Sunstreaker hesitated for a moment.

"Perhaps I want to make amends," he replied. Barricade looked at him, unconvinced. Sideswipe was the next to speak.

"Optimus, you know that Sunny doesn't apologize very often," he said. Optimus was quiet. For Sunstreaker to actually want to apologize was surprising, given how proud he was. He glanced to Barricade, who looked torn between suspicion and surprise.

"Barricade perhaps you should allow them to interact her…with supervision," he said, adding the last part quickly before the mech could object.

"I'll speak to Jazz about it," he said coolly. Optimus nodded and Sunstreaker shrugged. He didn't need permission from either mech to speak to the femme. All he needed was to change her opinion of him.

"Now that we have that settled I'm going to go see about accommodations for our 'guest'," Optimus said. The three mechs watched him leave before Barricade eyed the Twins cautiously. After a brief tense silence he turned and left the room. After he was gone Sideswipe turned to Sunstreaker in surprise.

"Did you actually mean that?" he asked. Sunstreaker shrugged again.

"It needs to be done," was all he said before turning and heading out to return to the room where the human was. Sideswipe trailed after him, shaking his head. Sometimes there was no understanding his twin.


	33. Brie's Surprise and A Rift Forms

**Another update! I didn't stuff myself too full and fall asleep before posting this LOL! Hope everyone enjoys! Next chapter should be ready...I don't know LOL.**

* * *

Brie was shaken out of her recharge by the sound of arguing. Muttering something about gagging the two mechs she slid off her berth and stomped towards the door that led into the living room. She paused as she heard Jazz's voice get louder and Barricade snarl something back. Unsure of what could have caused this when they had been getting along so well, Brie stepped into the room and made a soft noise to get their attention. Both mechs turned towards the sound and Jazz cursed.

"Slag it 'Cade see what ya did! Ya woke Brie!" he snapped. Barricade stared at the small mech in surprise.

"ME? You're the one blowing a fuse!" he shot back. Jazz's visor flashed and Brie hurried over to get between the two before a fight broke out.

"You both woke me up! What's going on?" she said firmly as she glared at first one then the other. She wasn't surprised when they looked away, unwilling to share what they had been arguing about with her.

"'Cade?" she said softly as she turned her attention to her guardian. She saw him stiffen briefly but said nothing and she felt her concern slowly turning to annoyance. She turned her attention to Jazz, who she noticed was avoiding looking at either her or Barricade. She threw up her hands and turned away.

"Well since neither of you two femmes care to share I'm going to go get some Energon!" she snapped. She felt the weight of their surprised gazes on her as she stomped towards the door. Before she could open it she felt Jazz gently grab her arm and pull her back to him. She turned and glared at him but it melted away at the sight of concern and…was that fear?...she saw on his face.

"Ah'm sorry we woke ya up. We were havin' a…difference of opinions. Let meh go get ya some," he said. Brie eyed him suspiciously. There was something going on; something that they didn't want her to know about.

"I'll go get it," Barricade said gruffly. Brie watched him stalk out the door, a more agitated than usual Frenzy on his heels, and crossed her arms over her chest as she fixed a piercing gaze on Jazz.

"What's going on?" she asked her voice firm. Jazz merely stared at her for a moment, a sense of approval and something else filling him. She was so much different from when she had first arrived. He vented softly as he led her to the couch and eased her onto it. He paced before her, uncertain what to say. He didn't want to undo all the progress that they had made in her recovery!

Brie watched him in concern. She couldn't remember seeing him this agitated, outside of when the Twins were tormenting him. Had something happened between them? Finally Jazz came to a stop and turned to face her and Brie was surprised to see that he had retracted his visor to allow her to see his optics.

"Brie, 'Cade tells meh that ya have a brother," he said slowly. Brie nodded slowly as a mixture of excitement and trepidation filled her. Had they found out something about him?

"There's a male that just showed up. Claims ta be him," he continued. Brie leapt to her feet and turned to rush towards the door. She let out a hiss as Jazz quickly grabbed her, stopping her.

"What are we waiting for Jazz? I want to see him!" she hissed as she struggled in his grasp. Jazz tugged her to him, his face stern.

"There's somethin' suspicious 'bout him Brie. 'Cade and Ah want ta wait a couple of days 'fore ya see him," he replied. Brie glared at him as her struggled intensified. Who was he to tell her when she could see her brother?!

"He's my brother Jazz! The last of my family!" she snapped. Jazz's optics flashed briefly before his visor snapped back down and Brie felt her spirit sink.

"Brie, we know what's best fer ya. Optimus doesn' want ya ta see him yet and by now ya know better than ta go against Optimus' orders," he growled. Brie fell silent and turned her optics away from him, going still. Jazz reluctantly released her and wasn't surprised when she took the opportunity to get as far from him as she could.

"Brie, Ah'm sorry," he said quietly. Brie merely turned away and headed into the berth room and Jazz cursed as he slammed a fist into the wall. Slag it he had screwed things up with Brie! How had things gone so wrong so quickly?

* * *

Michael sat on the edge of his bed, thinking. He was fully aware that his 'room' was really a cell and that he was under constant surveillance. He sighed harshly. How the hell was he going to grab Brie and get away without any of the Autobots knowing?

"Human." The growled word pulled Michael from his half formed plans and he glanced up to see Barricade standing at the door of his 'room.' His eyes narrowed at the sight of the mech. He was going to be the first mech that Michael was going to take great pleasure in watching Lord Megatron destroy.

"Can I help you?" he asked coolly. He refused to be intimidated. He hadn't survived for this long by allowing fear to rule him.

Barricade studied the male closely, a look of contempt on his face. He knew that he was there to retrieve Brie. He also knew that as long as Energon flowed through him that that would never happen.

"I want to know how you really got here. You're claim of escaping from the 'Cons is a loud of slag," he snarled. Michael smirked slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. You'll never know…Barricade," he chuckled. Barricade's optics narrowed.

"Megatron sent you here," he said flatly. Michael jumped to his feet, his composure gone at the mech's words.

"No he didn't! He told me that you brought my sister to these…these monsters! I gladly jumped at the chance to come here!" he snarled. Barricade let out a loud snort. Megatron had certainly filled the boy's head with plenty of nonsense.

"Did you happen to ask Megatron what he had planned for your sister?" he shot back coolly. Michael glared heatedly at the ex-Con as he answered.

"He said that she was getting medical treatments that she needed! He was protecting her and you took her away! Without those treatments she's going to die and I won't lose my sister again!" he shouted. A rumble of footsteps could be heard coming down the hall and Barricade was joined a moment later by Prowl and Optimus.

"What's going on here?" Optimus asked as he glanced from the visibly angry and shaking Michael to a coolly amused Barricade.

"Just having a little chat," he replied. Prowl shifted his stance slightly as he fixed his piercing gaze on Michael.

"Is there something you need to tell us?" he asked coolly. Michael shook his head.

"I told you everything I know. Now tell me, do you know where my sister is or not?" he asked as he allowed a note of genuine concern to fill his voice. Prowl exchanged a look with Optimus, who looked torn. Finally he vented wearily.

"She's here," he said quietly as he ignored the dark glare and low growl he received from Barricade.

**::It's obvious that he knows she's here,::** he said via a private com link.

**::You didn't have to confirm it though!:: **Barricade shot back.

**::Optimus I must admit that I'm questioning you telling him about her presence,::** Prowl added. Optimus pinned both underneath a stern gaze, though he was highly aware of where Michael was.

**::You know he would have found her anyways. This way we can supervise his movements more closely,:: **the Autobot leader replied. Barricade shook his head but said no more. He would just have to speak to Jazz about never leaving her alone.

* * *

Brie lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling, hurt and anger swirling through her. Her brother was so close and she couldn't see him! She shuttered her optics briefly, aware of Jazz's movements in the other room. It would be quite some time before she forgave him for this!

Jazz was pacing the living room, his thoughts dark. He knew he should have approached the subject differently but Brie had taken the decision from his hands. Upon learning that her brother was there she had been determined to go find him, despite the danger that he presented. Now she was angry with him and he found that he didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.

_'How can Ah get her ta see that Ah only wanna keep her safe?'_ he growled to himself. He moved towards the stereo, intending to play some music to soothe them both. In the end he decided against it and flopped down on the couch. He propped his feet up on the table as he crossed his arms behind his head and glared up at the ceiling. How had Megatron found out about the slagger's connection to his Brie?

His Brie…he found himself turning the words over and over in his processor, finding that he liked them more and more as time went on. She was his Brie; she was his future mate. He wondered what the best way would be to go about courting her. Maybe Elita or one of the other femmes could give him some ideas.

He heard the door open and turned slightly towards the sound, relieved to find that it was Barricade returning. He frowned at the annoyed look on the mech's face. Apparently things hadn't gone very well.

"Where's Brie?" he asked, glancing around the room. Jazz vented softly.

"In her berth we had a…argument," he replied softly. Barricade moved to sit in the chair across from the couch and waited patiently.

"Ah told her 'bout her brother. She wanted ta go find him. Ah told her no and she took it badly," he added. Barricade shook his head as he spoke.

"We'll worry about soothing her hurt feelings later. Let me tell you what the human said…"


	34. The Rift Grows

**In the next few chapters I'm afraid some of the characters might seem a bit OOC. When writing a story like this sometimes it's hard to keep them exactly true to their nature...well at least for me anyways. I do hope you continue to enjoy it besides this! **

* * *

The next day found Brie still angry with Jazz and as a consequence she was ignoring him. Jazz for his part seemed unaffected by it, though Barricade knew better. The saboteur never retracted his visor for Brie anymore and she didn't seem to care. In fact, she seemed as if she wouldn't care if he disappeared or not. Quite frankly as amusing as Barricade found it he couldn't allow it to continue.

"Are you ever going to speak to him again?" he asked suddenly, surprising Brie. Jazz had decided to be the one to retrieve their Energon, wanting to ease the tension and allow her a brief break from him. Brie shrugged slightly as she looked away.

"I don't know. Right now I don't have much to say to him," she replied coolly. Barricade was aware of her annoyance with him but he didn't care. As long as she was safe she could stay slagged off at him until the end of time.

"When can I leave? I'm tired of being cooped up without my friends," she suddenly asked. Barricade sat back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"We've told you that they've wanted to visit you. You've been the stubborn glitch that refuses to see them," he growled. Brie stared at him, speechless. She hadn't heard him talk to her like that since she had first changed. Before she could say anything the door opened and Jazz strolled in, three cubes of Energon in hand. He stopped as he sensed the tension in the air, glancing from Barricade to Brie and back again.

"What did Ah miss?" he asked flatly as he moved to hand Barricade his cube. The ex-Con said nothing and Jazz shook his head as he turned to Brie, surprisingly hesitant. He extended the cube and vented softly as she took it without a word. He walked over to sit on the couch beside her, his spark sinking as she discreetly moved as far from him as she could.

"Nothing important," she replied as she sipped at her Energon. Jazz shook his head and leaned back, exchanging a look with Barricade.

**::I simply told her the truth. She's acting like a spoiled little glitch,::** Barricade said suddenly over a private com link. Jazz vented softly.

**::Ah see that she took it well,:: **he replied with a wry smile. Barricade merely chuckled and Brie huffed softly in annoyance. She knew that they were talking about her.

"Brie how would ya like ta go out fer a bit?" Jazz asked suddenly, surprising both Brie and Barricade. Brie immediately turned towards him, her face lit up with happiness, and Jazz smiled. Barricade was silent for a moment, hesitating on what he had to reveal. He knew that it would slag Jazz off but at the same time it needed to be done. They needed as many mechs and femmes to help keep Brie safe and as much as he hated to admit it the two frontline twins were damn good at their jobs.

"Actually can that wait for a bit? We're going to have company shortly," the ex-Con said. Brie instantly looked disappointed and Jazz frowned as he turned his attention onto the other mech.

**::What kinda company and why didn' ya say somethin' 'fore I got her hopes up?:: **he demanded. Barricade shrugged slightly.

**::You didn't give me a chance. I didn't know you were going to say that. Perhaps we need to work on our communication skills,:: **he replied. Jazz snorted softly.

**::That's an understatement. Who's comin'?:: **he asked, refusing to be sidetracked by Barricade's attempt to engage him in the witty banter that was the trademark of their odd friendship. Barricade straightened and crossed his arms over his chest as he fixed a sudden piercing and no nonsense look on the saboteur.

**::The twins,::** he said calmly. Jazz's response was anything but calm.

"Are ya outta yer slaggin' mind?!" he snarled as he jumped to his feet. Barricade remained sitting, unfazed by the smaller mech's anger. He knew that Jazz wouldn't try anything with Brie in the room.

Brie jumped, nearly spilling her Energon at Jazz's sudden movement and shout. She watched anxiously as he began to pace, growling and glaring at Barricade as if to make him rust away. Barricade seemed almost bored by the whole thing and Brie wondered just what exactly was going on now.

"Ah thought we agreed that they weren' ta be around her!" Jazz snapped as he came to a stop in front of the nonchalant ex-Con. Barricade shrugged.

"Circumstances have changed," was all he said. Jazz stiffened, as if restraining the urge to reach out and deck Barricade. In the end it was the chiming of the doorbell that prevented him from doing so and Brie was startled when she found herself pulled up from the couch and tucked behind Jazz as he assumed a defensive stance in front of her.

"What did you do 'Cade?" she asked softly. Barricade shook his head as he stood and strolled across the room to the door. He opened it and Brie couldn't help the small squeak that escaped her as she watched Sunstreaker and Sideswipe step into the room. Sunstreaker took one look at Jazz's stance and despite himself he smirked.

"Did we come at a bad time?" he purred. Barricade groaned as he dropped his head. Perhaps involving these two wasn't such a good idea after all.

* * *

Megatron drummed his fingers on the chair slowly, a dark scowl on his face. So far there had been no word from Michael and the Decepticon leader was not a patient mech. If the human had betrayed them then there would be, as the humans said, hell to pay.

"Soundwave, any word?" he growled as the communications officer walked into the room. The mech shook his head and Megatron slammed his fist down in frustration.

"Slag it that chip you planted should have worked!" he snarled. In a far corner of the room, hidden, Mirage smirked slightly. If only they knew just how ineffective their devices were, especially when going against Red's security systems.

"Lord Megatron, you don't suppose the human betrayed us?" Starscream smirked. He was careful not to flinch at the dark glare he received from his leader. If _**he**_ had been in charge they would have followed the human and simply blown away the Autobots as they took the girl back.

"Unlike you Starscream he knows his place," Megatron snapped. This time Starscream fell silent, seething underneath the rebuke. Oh one of these days their roles were going to be reversed and _**he**_ would be making the other mech's life a living hell!

"Go keep trying Soundwave. The minute you find something let me know!" Megatron snapped. Soundwave bowed his head in acknowledgment and Mirage watched as he slipped out of the room. He turned to leave and head back to base but something told him to wait. He leaned back against a wall and watched amusement on his face, as Megatron made sure that Starscream remembered just who the leader of the Decepticons was. It was good to find amusement in your work.

* * *

"Ah didn' say that ya could be here," Jazz hissed, his visor flashing as he kept his attention fixed on the smirking golden frontliner. Beside him Sideswipe pretended to yawn, as if bored by the whole scene. Brie peered around Jazz then just as quickly ducked back as she saw Sunstreaker's optics shift towards her briefly before focusing back on the livid saboteur.

"Well see here's the funny thing; Optimus asked us to come. Besides, from what I understand this is Brie's quarters," he replied coolly. Jazz's visor dimmed a moment as he commed Optimus. A few seconds later it brightened again in shock and Sideswipe chuckled. It was rare to see the head of Special Ops taken off guard and he made a mental note to use it as blackmail material at a later date.

"No one asked Brie," he snarled. Sunstreaker shrugged slightly.

"Jazz, Optimus made the decision to enlist their help. I suggest you take it up with him if you have such a problem with it," Barricade interjected. Jazz turned his attention onto the ex-Con, who looked almost annoyed by everything.

"Ya coulda said no! Ya know how scared Brie is of that glitch!" Jazz snapped. Sunstreaker's optics narrowed slightly.

"I'll tell you as I told Optimus, I want to make amends. No femme, human or otherwise, deserves to live their life in fear. I'm…ashamed to admit that I acted like a 'Con," he vented harshly. Barricade threw the golden mech an unamused look, which was ignored. Brie in the meantime was peering around Jazz again warily.

"Do you mean that Sunstreaker? I mean it's not just words you're saying this time?" she asked suspiciously. He turned his attention to her and she had to force herself not to flinch underneath his piercing gaze.

"I do, occasionally, admit to being wrong. I was wrong in the way I treated you and I'm…sorry," he said. Brie stared at him before glancing to Sideswipe, who smiled and nodded in encouragement. Jazz snorted softly but before he could speak Brie moved from behind him, though she remained close by his side.

"Thank you Sunstreaker," she said simply. The mech nodded, and then turned his attention back to Jazz. He waited patiently and wasn't very surprised when the smaller mech let loose a particularly vile curse and stalked towards the door. He shoved between the two frontliners roughly, uncaring of whether he scratched up their paint or not and left the room. He was aware of the way Brie's stricken gaze followed him but at the moment he was too angry to care. It was time to take matters into his own hands. He would solve this whole 'Michael' mess and things would go back to normal!

Brie felt a sharp bolt of pain go through her as Jazz left, his whole frame visibly radiating anger and never looking back. She sank back down onto the couch, pushing away the half-finished cube of Energon. She should still be angry at him, not the other way around. So why was she feeling as if she had just ruined everything between them?

"He'll be back Brie he just needs time to cool off," Sideswipe said as he rolled further into the room. Brie said nothing, her optics downcast. How had she managed to mess everything up so fast?

"Nice place," Sunstreaker said thoughtfully as he eyed the surroundings with his artistic view. He could already envision how to liven it up and he wondered if he could talk Brie or her two walking guard dogs into allowing him to decorate. Barricade shot him a sharp look, knowing that he was up to something. As long as it didn't endanger Brie then he would reserve judgment until the golden mech said something.

"Since Jazz has…temporarily taken leave perhaps we should discuss the business at hand," Barricade said coolly. Brie turned and eyed him curiously. What business could he have with the Twins?

"We'll be keeping a close eye on the human and Brie whenever she's out and about," Sunstreaker said firmly. Barricade vented softly then nodded. Unfortunately there were going to be times when neither he nor Jazz could be close by and as much as he hated to admit it the Twins would keep her safe.

"What human? Did someone else come in beside Michael?" she asked. Barricade hesitated.

"No," he finally replied. Brie frowned.

"Then what are you talking about?" she asked suspiciously. Barricade exchanged looks with Sunstreaker, who shrugged slightly. She could get angry all she wanted. As long as she was safe that's all that mattered.

"Your 'brother', we suspect that he's here because of Megatron," Barricade finally replied. Brie shot to her feet, her optics dark with anger.

"How could you even think of such a thing?" she hissed. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe settled back against the wall to watch the show. She was such a spirited little femme, much different from how she had been when she had first been brought in. Barricade crossed his arms over his chest and fixed a piercing gaze on her, unfazed by her anger.

"It's no coincidence that he suddenly showed up such a short time after the 'Cons discovered our base. How the slagger learned of the human's connection to you still bothers me," he growled. Brie said nothing, her body tensing even more. Her brother, the only family she had left, was being treated as if he were a Decepticon spy! He hadn't done anything wrong!

"Let me talk to him. I can find out," she finally replied. Sunstreaker snorted softly.

"Femme all he's going to do is lie to you. He as much as admitted to the 'Con here that he had been sent to retrieve you," he said in a cool voice. Brie whirled to face him, her hands clenched into fists.

"You don't know anything! You've hated me from the moment you first saw me! So why should you care about what happens to me?" she hissed. Sunstreaker pushed away from the wall, a scowl on his face.

"I admit that my behavior wasn't all that stellar but that doesn't mean I want to see you back in Megatron's clutches to be used as a brood mare!" he snarled. Brie crossed her arms over her chest and found that she was finally unafraid of his temper. It was funny that it took her brother showing up to break through her lingering uneasiness.

"He's my brother. How you would feel if you and your brother were split up for a long period of time then denied the chance to be reunited?" she snapped. Sunstreaker tensed, his optics turning cold and hard. Sideswipe quickly rolled forward to intervene before things could get further out of hand.

"We have been split up Brie, more times than we can count. But we never had to worry about the other betraying us. This Michael is just trying to get you back to Megatron so he can fulfill what he had planned for you…and don't think that he's going to let the fact that you got away from him go so easily," he said darkly.

"Brie, this conversation is over! You will have an escort at all times, and I expect you to at least try to get along with these two glitches," Barricade growled. He ignored the dark glares he received from the two mechs as he kept his gaze fixed on the defiant young femme before him. Brie locked optics with him for several moments before she finally dropped them.

"Fine," she said. She stalked towards the berth room, and then paused.

"Well? Isn't someone going to make sure I'm safe in here?" she mocked. Barricade hissed at her and she shrugged before stalking inside. He vented heavily before turning to the two frontliners, who were now openly amused by her attitude. He shook his head as he spoke.

"Somehow I think her being around you two is going to cause even more problems than we already have."

* * *

Mirage slipped back into the base, heading unerringly towards Optimus' office. He was thankful that he had neglected to uncloak himself as he was passed by a livid Jazz, who was heading for an all too familiar part of the base. The spy quickly turned and trailed after him, sending a private com link to Prowl and Optimus. Somehow he had a feeling that Jazz was about to do something that would send him across the line from Autobot…to Decepticon.


	35. Tensions Mount

**Ah it's amazing what some good music, caffeine and junk food can do for a person LOL. I have a couple of fic requests that I'll hopefully be starting to work on within the next couple of weeks. I just need to round up the muses LOL. Not to mention I have a couple of other ideas floating around. Anyways, this fic still has many MANY chapters left from what I can see LOL. So enjoy! Oh the accent thing...I can't remember which fic I saw it in (one of my many favorites I believe if you know let me know so I can give proper credit for this particular tidbit of information) I can definitely see. Being on Earth the 'Bots are going to pick up accents and other human traits. So I can see Jazz slipping into his pre-Earth voice during certain times easy for him to do.**

* * *

Michael had no warning. One moment he was cautiously creeping down the hallways, looking for where they might have possibly hidden Brie; the next minute he found himself being dangled hundreds of feet off the ground by a livid mech with a visor. He had a feeling that this was the mysterious saboteur, Jazz, who he had always heard some of the mechs cursing.

"What are ya doin' out here?" he snarled, visibly twitching with the urge to simply drop the slimy human and be done with it. Only the inherent coding that Autobots were not to harm humans prevented him from doing so. He wasn't above scaring and threatening the male though.

"I-I'm lost. I was l-looking to get something to eat," Michael replied, deciding to play dumb even though he knew it wouldn't work. The mech before him was too smart to fall for it. Jazz merely shook him slightly, his visor flashing darkly.

"Ya can' lie ta me human. What's yer game?" he growled. Michael's face tightened as he allowed his own anger to come to the surface.

"I'm looking for my sister! What have you done to her?" he snapped. Jazz brought Michael closer to his face as he simply stared at him.

"We haven' done anythin' but protect her! Yer 'master' is tha one that harmed her! Did he tell ya exactly what he was up ta with his 'treatments?'" he hissed. Michael crossed his arms over his chest, a ridiculous sight considering he was still dangling from between two clawed digits as he glared at Jazz in defiance.

"Lord Megatron said that she was sick! He said that without these treatments she would die! How do I know you even have her still?" he snapped. Jazz trembled faintly, the urge to drop the human pressing down heavily upon him. Before he could even think about acting upon it Michael was snagged from his grasp by an invisible hand even as his own arms were brought back and cuffs were slapped on his wrists.

"Jazz just what do you think you're doing?" Optimus' voice was stern as he stood before the smaller mech. Jazz said nothing as Mirage uncloaked, holding Michael in his hand. Judging by the look on his face the mech found the experience quite unpleasant and Jazz wished that the spy was more like Sunstreaker. The slagging human would have already been turned into so much mush on the ground.

"Ah was just makin' sure that he found his way to where he was goin'," Jazz replied sullenly. He made no attempt to escape, though Prowl and Optimus knew that he could easily slip out of the cuffs.

"That doesn't seem to be what we walked up to," Prowl replied as he arched an optic ridge and waited expectantly. He shook his head as Jazz remained stubbornly silent. He turned to a recently arrived Ironhide, who looked more than a little confused, and spoke coolly.

"Please escort Jazz to the brig. Maybe a short stay will help him decide to share what's bothering him," he said. Ironhide nodded and grasped the saboteur by the arm before leading him down the hall. The three mechs watched silently and once Jazz and Ironhide were out of sight Prowl turned to Michael and his face grew even colder.

"Tell me the truth human, what were you doing out of your room without an escort?" he asked. Optimus gazed at him as well and Michael could sense the weight of the mech who had mercifully plucked him from what he was sure had been imminent death on his back and knew that he was in some serious trouble. He took a deep breath and forced himself to meet the optics of the tactician before answering.

"Looking for the cafeteria?"

* * *

Brie peered silently out the door, body tense. She relaxed slightly as she spotted Barricade in a chair in the far corner, optics offlined. She scanned the rest of the room, finding no trace of the Twins or Jazz. She crept cautiously out of the room, heading for the door. She froze as Barricade suddenly spoke.

"Going somewhere Brie?" he growled, onlining his optics to glare at the young femme. Brie sagged visibly. Damn it why did his senses have to be so sharp?

"I was going to go look for Jazz. He's been gone awhile," she replied. She was telling the truth…well half of it at least. She did intend to look for Jazz…after she reunited with her brother. Barricade snorted in disbelief.

"I can tell you exactly where he is at the moment. He's in the brig," he replied. Brie was startled by his statement.

"What? Why?" she asked quickly. Barricade shrugged slightly as he stood.

"Frenzy doesn't know. All he said was that he saw Ironhide escorting him there in handcuffs," he replied. Brie dropped her head. This was all her fault.

"Brie, don't blame yourself. We just need to resolve this situation fast. I'll speak to Optimus about letting you see Michael…under supervision," he said, quick to add the last part when her head shot up and her optics lit up in delight. Brie nodded, all but dancing in place though she still felt horrible about Jazz.

"How long do you think he'll be in there?" she asked, missing his presence. They had rarely been apart since her transformation and she found that she didn't like the unsettled feeling that she had. Barricade eyed her silently, a half smirk on his lips. She was more than half in love with the saboteur; she just wasn't ready to face it. She would have to soon though. He vented softly as he stood.

"Why don't we go find out?" he said as he moved towards the door. Brie nodded and followed him, her thoughts still troubled. Why had Jazz been so angry when he left…and what had he done to deserve brig time?

* * *

Jazz reclined back on the berth, staring up at the ceiling with his arms crossed back behind his head. He knew that he had been wrong in letting his emotions get to him. It was something he had never done before. Being too emotional could and would easily get you killed out on the battlefield. So why had he allowed them to get the best of him now?

_'Because Ah've never felt fer anyone tha way Ah feel 'bout Brie,'_ he thought with a small exhalation of air. He knew logically that enlisting the Twins to help was a smart move. It never hurt to have somebot close by in case neither he nor Barricade were. He just couldn't understand why he had stormed out the way he had.

He groaned softly as he shuttered his optics. He knew slagging well why he had been so upset. He was afraid; afraid that Brie would choose one of the Twins over him. He sat up and dropped his head wearily. He knew that it would never happen; Sunny had frightened Brie too much for her to ever consider either of them that way. She knew that they were a package deal. He knew this…but it didn't stop him from feeling afraid that it would happen nonetheless.

"So, you care to explain now exactly why you were about to go against everything we believe in?" Prowl's voice broke into his thoughts and he raised his head to meet the optics of the SIC.

"Ah don' know. Ah just…" his voice trailed off as his optics shifted away, unable to stand lying to the tactician directly. Prowl knew that gesture; Jazz used it quite often when he was trying to avoid something unpleasant. He wasn't going to let him get away with it this time.

"Don't lie to me Jazz. I really don't want to keep you locked up in here. Brie needs you," he said quietly. His sharp gaze took note of the way Jazz tensed briefly at the mention of Brie's name before forcing himself to relax and it confirmed his suspicions. Jazz had already been upset before seeking out the human, Michael. The question was what had set him off?

"Prowl, just let it go," Jazz's voice was soft and clear of the accent that he had picked up upon arriving on Earth. It was a sign that whatever was disturbing Jazz was something deeply personal and he wasn't ready to share it. Prowl shook his head. Normally he would just walk away and allow Jazz time to pull himself together before questioning him again. Unfortunately he couldn't afford to do that this time.

"Jazz, Optimus is naturally concerned about the state of your processor. He wants Ratchet to do a complete physical on you," he said slowly. There was no missing the way Jazz shuddered at his words. A physical by Ratchet was something to be avoided at all costs, even regularly scheduled ones.

"That's not necessary," he replied softly. Prowl crossed his arms over his chest and fixed a piercing stare on the small saboteur.

"I think it is. Obviously something is wrong and we need to rule out that it's physical or not. We need you focused on our goals," he said sternly. Jazz mumbled something under his breath before turning his optics back to Prowl, a dark scowl on his face.

"Why tha Twins?" he asked suddenly. Prowl stared at him for a moment, thrown off guard by his sudden question and the return of his accent. It appeared that the defense mechanisms had gone back up.

"Why the Twins what?" he asked cautiously. Jazz shook his head.

"Don' try ta say that ya don' know!" he snapped. Prowl's optics narrowed. Jazz may be the TIC but Prowl was still his superior and as such he couldn't allow the other mech to speak to him that way.

"I can honestly say that I don't Jazz. What have the Twins done now?" he asked. Jazz eyed him in surprise.

"They kept ya in tha dark? Surprising…then again Optimus probably didn' wanna make ya glitch," he mused. Prowl made a mental note to speak to Optimus following this conversation. He didn't like being left in the dark concerning decisions about Autobot safety and protocol.

"Why don't you fill me in?" he said. Jazz vented softly as he leaned back on his hands and his gaze met Prowl's.

"Apparently tha consensus is that tha Twins need ta help watch over Brie," he said. Prowl twitched, fighting the urge not to glitch as Jazz had predicted he would. No wonder he had been left out of the loop.

"I see…I'll let you out Jazz with the strict instruction that you are to return to Brie's quarters and stay away from the human unless other Autobots are present," he said. Jazz nodded and slid smoothly to his feet as Prowl opened the door. He had just stepped out when he spotted Brie and Barricade heading their way. He steeled himself as they approached, aware of when Prowl slipped away.

"Hey Brie," he said quietly. Brie stopped before him, anxiously scanning him for any signs of injury.

"Are you ok Jazz?" she asked quickly. Jazz smiled and Brie was happy to see that he seemed back to his usual cheerful self.

"Brie, Ah want ta apologize," he said, pointedly ignoring Barricade's smirk and sarcastic thumbs up. Sometimes he swore that the ex-Con took more pleasure than he should out of baiting him. Brie gazed at him in surprise.

"Jazz…"

"Perhaps we should take this to a more private location…unless you want everyone to know your business," Barricade drawled. Jazz nodded and took Brie's hand in his, leading her out of the brig area and down the hall. Barricade followed at a slower pace, a small true smile on his face. Perhaps things were going to work out after all.


	36. Making Up and Moving Forward

**So my Creative Writing class is FINALLY done with the exception of a few comments I need to make. All I have to do is practice for my math final. Otherwise I can finally get back to 'Creative Writing' again! To my two readers who sent requests, I will work on them soon as I can. I need to figure out exactly how they're going to go. Not to mention I have another idea or two floating around my brain. I'd like to thank ALL my reviewers including my guests! Without you guys I probably would have lost interest and this would have been collecting dust on my computer by now LOL. Oh, the accent thing I got from a fic on another website (I think). I do hope the owner of the idea doesn't take offense. I figured it might fit in somewhere in this story. Given that I'm sure that the Autobots didn't sound like they do now since they've been on Earth...well hope you enjoy anyways!  
**

* * *

Brie waited patiently as she watched Jazz pace restlessly. She knew that he was taking the time to gather his thoughts, in an effort to avoid straining their current relationship any more. Barricade had left them at the door, stating that he needed to speak to Optimus. Brie had shot him a small thankful smile. She was glad that he hadn't said anything in front of Jazz. She had a feeling that he would be back in the brig again, this time for throttling her other guardian.

"Ah'm sorry Brie," he said slowly as he turned to face her. She waited silently, faintly surprised as he retracted his visor. She had been afraid that he would choose to keep it down, given that they were at odds at the moment.

"It's ok Jazz. We both lost our temper. But…why were you so angry when you left earlier?" she asked. Jazz vented softly as he moved to sit beside her. He hesitated, wavering on what he was about to do. In the end he knew that it had to be done. How else was she to see just how much she meant to him?

"I was afraid," he said slowly. He watched her intently as she stared at him, shocked by both his words and the sudden loss of his accent.

"Jazz…what…your accent…" her voice trailed off in confusion and he allowed a small sly smile to cross his lips.

"The accent I picked up when we landed on Earth. This is how I used to sound. You're the only person, human or Bot, that has heard me in quite some time. Well, Prowl has but he doesn't count," he said as he waved a clawed hand dismissively. Brie had to laugh at that statement. She was pretty sure that Prowl would have something to say about that particular statement.

"So pretty much everyone has forgotten how you sound without your accent," she said slowly. Jazz nodded.

"I prefer to keep it that way too," he said seriously. Brie hesitantly reached over and patted him gently on the arm. She would keep his secret. Jazz placed his hand over hers and she quickly ducked her head as the shyness that had always haunted her when it came to having a male's attention focused on her came to the front. Deciding to move onto his statement, she spoke.

"What are you afraid of Jazz?" she asked. She couldn't imagine him being afraid of anything. He just had that air of self-confidence and courage about him that was at odds with his statement. Jazz vented softly as he turned his optics away from her.

"I'm afraid that…you might decide that…" he hesitated and Brie waited patiently. She had a feeling that this tied into the fact that the Twins were now a part of helping to keep her safe. He finally seemed to gather up his courage and made himself gaze directly at her as he finished his sentence.

"I'm afraid that you might choose the Twins over me," he said. Brie was taken aback by that. He was honestly worried that she would want to be with the Twins instead of him?

"Jazz, you don't have to worry about that. After everything Sunstreaker put me through there's no way I would ever…" she said quietly. Jazz seemed to relax slightly at her words.

"I know it was stupid I just…they're the Twins for Primus' sake!" he exclaimed. Brie frowned.

"What do you mean by that?" she was honestly curious by his statement. Was there something special about the two frontliners that made them better than any other mech?

"Sunny is protective and very loyal once you get past his defenses. Sideswipe is the charming one. I can't count the number of times I watched him on Cybertron manage to sweep a femme off her feet despite her reservations about Sunny," he said. Brie moved closer, her hand gently squeezing his arm.

"As charming as Sideswipe may be there's no way I'd ever consider him anything more than a possible friend. I know he and Sunstreaker are a package deal and Sunstreaker still intimidates me," she said. Jazz sudden smiled and Brie was relieved to see it. It brought forth the Jazz that she knew...the Jazz that she cared about…the Jazz that she suddenly realized that she loved.

Jazz couldn't even begin to describe how incredibly relieved her words made him. He reacted on instinct, reaching out and drawing her close. She let out a soft surprised sound as she found herself nestled into his side, his arm wrapped protectively around her. She took a moment to muse over current events. Well, at least things were good between them again; by her judgment even better in fact.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked suddenly as he realized that he had just pulled her to him without even checking with her. Brie made a soft sound as she allowed her head to rest down on his shoulder.

"No…you just surprised me," she replied softly. Jazz smiled as he felt her curl into him like an Earth feline. He allowed his thoughts to wander as she slowly began to slip into recharge. He would do whatever it took to keep her safe. Primus help anyone or anybot that tried to take her from him. They would find out just exactly how deadly he could be when pushed too far.

* * *

Optimus was silent as Barricade finished speaking. He had just wrapped up a meeting with Prowl, his audio receptors still stinging from the verbal lecture he had received, when Barricade had approached. Now he was turning the ex-Con's words over in his processor, seeking out any flaws that might be hidden underneath Barricade's words. Finding none, he vented softly as he commed for Prowl to return.

"I believe that Prowl should be here to help with this problem," he said, grimacing slightly. Barricade couldn't help but smirk. He had heard the SIC tearing into the Autobot leader from down the hallway. Why Optimus had allowed it was still something that puzzled him. Still, he couldn't resist getting in a slight dig.

"Don't want to get Prowl mad again?" he chuckled. Optimus shot him an unamused glare.

"Where is Jazz?" he asked in an attempt to turn the attention away from his recent verbal smacking. Barricade merely chuckled again but decided to cut the other mech some slack and allow the subject change.

"With Brie in her quarters. He wanted to apologize to her for his actions," he said. Optimus nodded, though he was still confused by Jazz's recent actions. It wasn't like Jazz to allow his emotions to overrule his common sense.

"Where are the Twins?" Barricade asked suddenly. After Jazz had stormed out they had left shortly after, saying that they were going to come up with a schedule of sorts for protecting Brie and watching the human. Optimus smiled slightly.

"Keeping an eye on the human. The reason Jazz ended up in the brig was because he found him wandering the hallways and wasn't too pleased about it," the Autobot leader replied. Barricade snorted softly. He had a feeling that Jazz hadn't discovered the human wandering the hallways by accident. Before he could make any further comment Prowl entered the room, eyeing Barricade in surprise.

"Barricade thinks it's time to arrange a meeting between Brie and Michael," Optimus said. Prowl was silent as he instantly began to make plans. By the time he was ready to answer he already had several in place, with contingency plans in case they failed.

"It should be in the rec room, with as many of us there as possible…except for Jazz," he said. Optimus vented softly. Jazz and his feelings were the only things he hadn't thought about.

"So what do we do about him?" Optimus asked. Prowl hesitated then vented softly.

"All I can think of is locking him up in the brig…with a guard," he replied. Barricade shook his head, though he could see the wisdom in the tactician's idea. Jazz locked in the brig without a guard was courting trouble. He would already be slagged off and would be able to easily escape. With a guard there he wouldn't have as much of a chance. Granted the risk was still there but it wasn't as high as if he was left alone.

"All right we'll have Bulkhead stand guard. We need to let the Twins know so that they can be in place," Optimus finally said. Barricade nodded and turned, leaving the office. It was after he was gone that Optimus spoke.

"Are you sure locking Jazz up is the only solution?" he asked. Prowl's doorwings drooped briefly.

"Other than sending him on a mission I can think of nothing else," he replied. Optimus leaned back in his chair wearily. That slagging human had made things so much more complicated. It was enough to give Optimus an even bigger processor ache than he had.

* * *

Michael was livid. After his run in with Jazz he had been literally locked in his room. He kicked at the bed before sitting back down. This was exactly how he expected the Autobots to act given what Lord Megatron had told him. He was more determined than ever to save his sister from these monsters.

"Michael," Will's voice called out before the door was opened and he stepped inside. Michael eyed his stern face and the way he held a hand over his gun warily. He would have to be careful as to what he said. Obviously the soldier was one of the humans brainwashed by the Autobots.

"Am I being released?" he asked. He couldn't help the note of sarcasm that crept into his voice and he watched as Will's eyes narrowed.

"I came to tell you that Optimus has agreed to let you see Brie, under close supervision," he said coolly. Michael was silent, though Will could see just how angry his words made him. He knew that the male had been expecting to just waltz in and take Brie back but he was finding that it wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.

"That's fine," he said flatly. Will smirked as he stepped back.

"I thought you would agree. I'll be back in a bit to let you out," he said before closing and locking the door again. Michael listened to the sound of his footsteps leaving before sinking back down onto the bed with a vile curse. Just how in the hell was he supposed to rescue his sister with all of these 'Bots and their pet humans around?

Sunstreaker's optics narrowed as he watched Will pass by from where he and Sideswipe were concealed. Sideswipe was frowning as he watched the Captain disappear down the hall. Once he was gone he turned to Sunstreaker.

"Just what in the slag is Optimus thinking?" he hissed. Sunstreaker shrugged, though the thought was going through his processor as well.

"He's thinking that the sooner we allow the fleshling to see Brie the sooner we can be rid of him," Barricade said suddenly. Both mechs whirled around, weapons dropping down instinctively. Upon spotting the ex-Con leaning against a wall across from them lazily they allowed them to retract, though Sunstreaker glared darkly at the mech.

"Haven't any of you stopped to think about the effect it's going to have on the femme?" he growled. Barricade scowled.

"Of course we have you glitch! But if we don't allow her this she's going to end up sneaking off to see him and that'll give him the opportunity to grab her!" he snapped back. Sideswipe quickly stepped in front of his twin before he could make a move towards Barricade.

"What does Jazz think about this?" Sideswipe asked. Barricade hesitated and both mechs stared with wide, surprised optics at the other mech.

"He doesn't KNOW?" Sunstreaker asked incredulously. Barricade vented softly.

"There's a reason for that," he said and began to explain exactly what had happened earlier. As they listened Sunstreaker and Sideswipe shared a common thought.

_'It appears as if Jazz really does love the femme.'  
_

Jazz smiled as he gazed at the femme in his arms. Brie had snuggled further against him as she recharged, trusting him to keep her safe. He shifted her slightly until she was lying in his lap, her head resting against his chest. Jazz reclined back further on the couch as he cradled her closer. He hesitated briefly before leaning down and lightly brushing his lips over Brie's forehead.

"Sleep well my femme," he murmured before letting his own optics offline. So long as Energon flowed through his lines Megatron would never get his claws on her again.


	37. Lies and Reunions

**Not much to say this time. Pretty sure I failed my math test and might end up having to retake the stupid class. Remember the whole 'being able to assume human form' thing mentioned when she first changed? Yeah it comes into play here. **

**On a more solemn note, my heart, thoughts and prayers go out to those families affected by the tragedy in Newtown CT. Hug your family tight and treasure each day because you never know when it might all end.**

* * *

Something was up and Jazz knew it. From the moment Barricade had walked through the door he had picked up on the underlying tension within the mech's frame. He had quickly flipped his visor down upon hearing Barricade's approach and shifted Brie slightly so he could face him. Now the ex-Con stood before him and Jazz didn't know what to think.

"Optimus wants to see you first thing in the morning," he growled as he sank down into a chair across the room. Jazz's optics narrowed behind his visor at his words. Just why did Optimus want to see him then instead of now?

"Ya have any clue why?" he drawled. Barricade shook his head immediately and Jazz knew that he was lying. The mech was good; he had to be to be elevated so far up within the 'Con ranks. Jazz was better. He made a living out of lying and as such could almost always tell when a mech was hiding something; and Barricade was definitely hiding something.

"Do you think he'd tell me?" he snorted softly. Jazz merely stared at him for a moment but made no reply as Brie shifted slightly, murmuring something too soft to make out. Barricade's gaze focused on her and a small knowing smirk crossed his lips.

"Don' even start 'Cade," Jazz warned. Barricade merely gave him an innocent look and Jazz merely shook his head. That mech had never been innocent, not even when he had been a sparkling.

"Why don't you put her in her berth? Unless you have some reason you don't want to?" Barricade purred, unable to help himself. The small saboteur was just so much fun to rile up. Jazz growled in annoyance even as he shifted Brie and prepared to stand. He should have known that Barricade wouldn't listen.

"Quiet!" he hissed as he stood and began to move towards the berth room. Barricade's soft laugh followed him and he made a mental note to set up a 'sparring' session with him. He stepped inside and over to the berth, gently easing Brie down onto it. She never stirred and Jazz smiled as he watched her for a moment. One day he wouldn't have to leave her here alone…he quickly turned his thoughts away from that line of thinking. He was not going to rush their courtship and risk ruining their future bond.

He turned and headed back into the living room, making his way over to stand in front of Barricade. The ex-Con seemed unfazed as he onlined one optic then promptly offlined it again. Jazz waited, his patience beginning to wear thin. He wasn't going to move until Barricade told him exactly what was going on.

"Are you going to stand there staring a hole in me all night?" Barricade asked suddenly, nearly catching Jazz off guard. Jazz planted his feet and remained standing in his place, crossing his arms down in front of him in a deceptively casual stance that didn't fool Barricade. He knew just how fast the small mech could go from that position to movement when provoked.

"What's goin' on 'Cade? Don' say nothin' cause Ah know yer lyin'," he growled. Barricade finally onlined both optics and stretched, keeping his gave focused on the seething mech before him.

"Jazz even if there was something going on I couldn't tell you. Do you think that I'm kept in the loop when it comes to things around here?" he said coolly. Jazz snorted softly.

"Yer good 'Con Ah'll give ya that; but ya know that mah talents help meh spot a lie tha moment it's uttered," he shot back. Barricade laughed.

"You would have made an excellent Decepticon," he smirked. Jazz twitched slightly, the only sign he gave that Barricade's words bothered him.

"Look Jazz, even if I did know I most likely couldn't say. It would be something for the Prime to speak to you about," he said, all attempts to lighten the atmosphere gone. He knew that things could, and would, go very badly once Jazz found out the truth. He could only hope that Brie would be able to calm him down enough to listen to reason.

Jazz continued to stare at the lounging mech, wondering just how far he could push him. He knew without a doubt that Barricade was hiding something. He vented in irritation. He would just have to wait until in the morning. It wasn't worth the risk of waking Brie from her sound recharge.

"If Ah find out that ya did know Ah'll whip yer aft all over tha base," he warned. Barricade chuckled as he watched the mech turn and walk over to flop down onto the couch. He had no doubt that Jazz would at least try. It just wouldn't be as easy as he seemed to think. After all, he couldn't have been a Decepticon without knowing how to fight.

* * *

The next morning Brie woke to the sound of silence. She frowned as she rolled off the berth and moved towards the door. Silence usually meant something was going on. She was used to being woken up by the sound of music playing softly and finding Jazz waiting with a fresh cube of Energon. This morning she came into the room to the sight of Barricade waiting for her in his usual spot, a cube of Energon on the table waiting.

"Where's Jazz?" she asked, puzzled, as she moved towards the couch to get her Energon. Barricade watched her silently. He had finally managed to tune Jazz's livid ranting out, though he was well aware that he was most likely giving Bulkhead all kinds of hell. He just hoped that this situation wasn't going to turn around and blow up in their faces.

"He had a meeting with Optimus this morning," he said smoothly. Brie nodded as she took a sip of her Energon. Jazz was the TIC. It made sense that he would have to meet frequently with the Autobot leader to discuss strategy.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" she asked as the silence fell between them again. Barricade finished his own Energon, which Brie just noticed that he had, before standing and moving to place it on the table.

"Well as soon as you're through with that I figured you might want to see your brother," he said casually. He vented softly at the speed with which she finished it and stood, her eagerness all the more painful to see knowing that she was going to be hurt and disappointed by her brother. He was not going to react well to her new look.

"Oh thank you 'Cade! You have no idea who much this means to me!" she squealed as she darted towards the door. She stopped and waited, nearly squirming with impatience as the mech took his time joining her. She frowned at his sterner than usual air that was wrapped around him.

"Brie, I hope you realize that your brother may not…recognize you," he said slowly. Brie nodded, having already thought about that fact.

"I can easily assume my human shape," she replied. Barricade vented softly but said nothing, opening the door and allowing her to exit before him. As he followed close behind her he flinched softly as Jazz's livid cursing voice burst across his comm link again. He knew that when the saboteur was released he was in for one hell of an aft kicking. He would just make slagging sure that Brie was nowhere around. No need for her to know just exactly what he had to do to ensure that she was able to hopefully receive closure on her past to move forward with her future.

* * *

"Bulk ya let meh out now and Ah won' have ta see how well yer reflexes are on tha trainin' field," Jazz snarled as he stared at the large green mech standing a few feet away. Bulkhead flinched at his words but stood firm even as he avoided meeting the saboteur's blazing gaze. He just knew that the mech's visor had to be glowing a deep fiery red and that was something he didn't care to see again. The last time he had…he shuddered. He definitely didn't want to remember that!

"Sorry Jazz I can't do that. Prime's orders," he replied. A low dangerous growl met his words and he cringed even though he was safely out of Jazz's reach. Maybe they should set him loose on the 'Cons…the large mech shuddered again at that thought. He knew one 'Con in particular that was going to find himself on the receiving end of Jazz's rare formidable temper.

"Bulkhead…what…is…goin'…on?" the words were slow and even and Bulkhead vented sharply. Why had he been given this task again?

"I'm afraid I don't know Jazz. All I know is that I was supposed to keep you company. Other than that I know nothing else," he said firmly. Jazz snorted bitterly but said nothing as he turned and stalked over to the berth, slumping down onto it. Bulkhead was a good mech; he was just following orders. No, this was Barricade's doing and when he was free he was going to do more than have words with the mech.

_'What could they be doin' that they don' want…tha human!'_ Jazz's engine revved as a clawed fist slammed down onto the berth beneath him. They were going to allow Brie to see that…that…_human_!

"It involves that human doesn' it?" he said coolly, optics sharp underneath his visor as he waited for the other mech's reaction. The way Bulkhead twitched confirmed his suspicions and his hands clenched into fists. When he got loose the first thing he was going to do was assure himself that Brie was ok. After that…well there was a certain mech that he needed to have a rather intimate 'chat' with.

* * *

Brie stopped outside the break room door, suddenly nervous. Inside was her brother, her last remaining relative. She hadn't seen him since the day before her life had been changed forever. She could only hope that he would take her new change well.

"Are you ready?" Barricade asked his voice soft. He knew she was nervous; she had every right to be. He just hoped that she wouldn't end up being spark broken after all this was said and done. She nodded and stepped into the room and her optics immediately zoomed in on the male that was sitting in the middle of a loosely congregated group of other humans and mechs. Her spark pulsed painfully as she drank in the sight of him. He had changed his body more filled out and muscular than she remembered. But the most obvious change was in his eyes. They had a hard dark look to them that made her nervous even more uneasy.

"Michael?" she called out softly as she approached. His head whipped around at the sound of her voice and he frowned as he spotted a slender Cybertronian female standing where the voice had come from. He turned back to Lennox, a scowl on his face.

"You said my sister was coming!" he growled. Will crossed his arms over his chest and fixed a penetrating look on the male even as Epps kept a discreet eye on Brie.

"That is your sister," he said evenly. Michael turned to look at the femme again, taking in the unusual green eyes and hopeful look on her face before dismissing her and turning back to face the soldier again.

"You're lying! My sister is a beautiful girl not a…a…one of them!" he snarled as he gestured to the Autobots. Sunstreaker gave a low deadly growl, settling back after a look from Optimus and Ironhide. Brie's face constricted as pain shot through her. She had known deep down that he would be unable to handle seeing her like this but it hadn't stopped her from hoping.

"Michael, it is me. Look at me," she pleaded. Michael turned his head again and his eyes widened as he watched the femme slowly begin to transform until his sister stood before him uncertainly.

"Brie!" his voice was a mixture of shock and joy and he ignored the warning glares and mutters he received as he stood and rushed over to her. He wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes and laying his head on top of hers as she burrowed into him with a soft sob. Even in this form he could feel the difference in her and rage built within him. They had taken his beautiful loving sister and turned her into one of _them_ to satisfy their sick desires! It was as Lord Megatron had feared.

"What have they done to you?" he whispered, his voice broken. Brie stiffened slightly and Barricade scowled.

"The Autobots have done nothing but protect your sister since I helped her escape her fate. Megatron is responsible for her new look," he snapped. Michael's eyes shot towards the mech and filled with a hatred that chilled Will and Epps to see. It was a look that meant they would have to have him under observation 24 hours a day.

"It's ok Brie, you're safe now. I won't let them hurt you again," he whispered, ignoring the mechs and femmes in the room as he sought to soothe and reassure his 'frightened' sister. He would get her away from these people and back to Lord Megatron. Surely he could fix her!

"Human, Megatron is the one that did this to her! Do you even know what he has planned if he gets his claws on her again?" Barricade growled. Michael shifted slightly, keeping Brie cradled close as he continued to glare at the mech that he held personally responsible for his sister's pain.

"He told me you would say that! He was giving her treatments to help save her life! Instead you bring her _here_ for these…to experiment on!" he snarled. Optimus stepped forward, a dark look on his own face. It was time to put a stop to this before it turned even uglier than it already was.

"Michael, they didn't do this. They helped me. I would have died if I hadn't been here when I changed," Brie said quietly as she pulled back slightly to gaze into his familiar face. Michael looked down at her and his face softened.

"Brie, you don't have to cover up for them. I don't know why you're lying but I'm here now. I'll get you the help you need," he said in a soft affectionate whisper. Brie frowned at his words. This was not the Michael she remembered. Her brother was always willing to listen to her and weigh her words before making a decision. This Michael seemed determined to think the worst of the Autobots, no matter what. She cringed slightly. She could only imagine what he would think if he knew that she was in love with one of them.

"She isn't lying fleshbag; I saw it with my own optics," Sunstreaker snarled. Michael turned towards him, unafraid of the fact that he was quite literally staring death in the face.

"So you were a part of it. Did you do it so you could have a 'femme' to mate with? Someone to breed with?" he hissed. He was surprised when Brie pulled free and took a step back, pain etched on her face.

"How could you think that Michael?" she whispered. Before he could say anything more she transformed into her alt mode and sped out of the room, heading for her quarters. Barricade twitched with the urge to simply step on the vile pile of scrap but turned and headed out after her. He vented harshly as he trailed after her. He had known that this would be a mistake.

Michael took a step towards the door, intending to chase after her. Instead he found his way blocked by a large silver mech, whose blades were out and pointed directly at him. Fire blazed in his optics as he glared down at the male who had hurt Brie, the sister he claimed so much to love, so badly. Over his bond he could hear Sunstreaker speaking to him, keeping him from doing something that he knew he wouldn't regret no matter the trouble he got into.

"Sideswipe, stand down!" Optimus' voice was firm and the frontliner flinched but allowed his blades to retract, though he never moved from his position as Will and Epps came forward to grab Michael.

"Take him back to his room. We will decide what to do with him later. Make sure that he stays there otherwise we will not be held responsible for what happens to him should Jazz come across him again," Prowl said coolly. The two soldiers nodded and began to drag the struggling male out of the room and down the hall towards the room where they had been keeping him contained. After he was gone Elita turned to Optimus, his optics worried.

"We should go check on Brie," she said softly as Sideswipe moved to stand beside his brother and hold a silent conversation with him. Optimus vented softly.

"We need to give her time to calm down. Besides, we have another situation to deal with," he reminded her gently. All 'Bots in the room, including the Twins, grimaced at his words. Jazz was not going to be a happy mech when he found out and they could only hope that they could get him to listen to reason. He was a deadly mech when crossed and they knew what he was capable of. They would have to make sure that they stayed on alert. They had a feeling that he was going to let his anger be known in ways that could and would be quite painful to the Autobot experiencing it.


	38. Comfort and Jazz's Anger

**Happy holidays everyone! Thought I'd post this while I still remembered to! It's probably not my best work considering I worked 6 days straight and we bathed and groomed 172 dogs in six days. So yeah...I'm beat LOL. Jazz may not take action in this chapter or the next but rest assured that eventually certain 'Bots will be reminded on just why you don't slag the saboteur off LOL.  
**

* * *

"All right Jazz time to go," Bulkhead's voice was uncertain as he quickly unlocked the cell door and stepped back. Jazz merely stared at him for a moment before standing and exiting the cell. The green mech watched the smaller mech's form disappear around the corner with a stealth and purpose that didn't bode well for anyone in his path and shuddered. He had a feeling that he would be watching his back for quite some time.

Jazz stalked down the hallway, paying no attention to his surroundings. He instinctively knew to avoid the small humans that were scrambling to get out of the way even as he turned his thoughts on which mech to 'talk' to first. His optics flashed behind his visor as he continued on his journey. He came to a sudden halt as Prowl suddenly stepped in front of him and he let out a low deadly growl.

"Get outta mah way," he said his voice deadly calm. Prowl crossed his arms over his chest as he eyed him coolly. He was aware of Ironhide's presence close by as well as Optimus' but he didn't think he would need them. After all he had worked with Jazz for millennium and knew just how deadly the saboteur could be. He also knew the best ways to avoid taking some of his deadliest hits while landing a few blows of his own.

"Jazz I think you should have a cube of Energon and cool off before going to Brie's quarters," he said coolly. Jazz shifted slightly and Prowl tensed. Jazz smirked at the sight. At least the mech had the good sense to be wary of him.

"Now why would Ah wanna do that? Ah'm perfectly fine. Had a nice little recharge in tha brig," he replied. Ironhide stepped into the door of the rec room and Jazz's optics behind his visor flickered to the weapons specialist briefly. While he knew that he could take him down it wouldn't be easy and Jazz was more interested in checking on his femme than in engaging the other mech in a long, drawn out and damaging fight that would land him in Ratchet's tender loving care.

"Jazz, we only did what we thought was best," Optimus said quietly as he approached the saboteur from behind. A slight tensing of his body was the only sign that Jazz gave of his unease with his position and he turned slightly, placing his back to the wall as he eyed the three mechs coolly.

"Whatever ya say boss bot. Ya know what's best. Excuse meh Ah need ta check on Brie," he said. Without another word he turned and continued his journey down the hallway and the three mechs stared after him before Optimus shook his head.

"He's going to need to be watched for a while," was all he said before turning and heading back for his office. Prowl and Ironhide nodded before going their separate ways. They had gotten off relatively easy with Jazz…they had a feeling that Barricade might not be so lucky.

* * *

By the time Brie made it into her quarters the pain she felt was almost overwhelming. She managed to transform before staggering into her berth room, collapsing face down onto it as sobs wracked her form. She heard the door to her quarters open and close and the soft footsteps of an approaching mech. She knew it wasn't Jazz; she didn't know where he was and that seemed to make the hurt even worse. She wanted…no NEEDED him now and he wasn't around.

She kept her face hidden in her arms, much as she had when she had been a human teenager and hadn't wanted her parents or brother to see her so upset. Her brother…Michael…another sob escaped her as she remembered his harsh words. How could she have been so wrong about her brother?

"I'm sorry that you had to go through that Brie," Barricade said quietly as he approached her berth. He hesitated, clearly unused to comforting a distraught femme, but did his best as he rubbed a soothing hand up and down her back awkwardly. She began to calm, though not as quickly as she would have if Jazz had been there.

"You were right 'Cade," she whispered as she allowed herself to relax underneath his touch. Barricade vented softly even as he commed Optimus. A quick grimace crossed his face as he was informed of the fact that they had just released Jazz from the brig and he was heading towards Brie's quarters. He was in so much trouble.

"I wish I hadn't been Brie," he replied, meaning it. He had honestly hoped that her brother would accept her and allow her to fully embrace what it meant to be a Cybertronian femme. Instead he had made her feel even worse about herself, undoing all of the work he and Jazz had done to bolster her self-esteem.

"Where's Jazz?" she asked quietly. Barricade dropped his hand and quickly moved away as he heard the door to the quarters open and close, signaling the arrival of the saboteur.

"Ah'm here Brie," he said as he walked into the room. He ignored Barricade, too focused on calming his femme down at the moment, allowing the ex-Con to slip away gratefully. Jazz noted the movement, sending out a silent comm to make sure that the other mech knew that Jazz wanted a 'word' with him as he moved to sit next to Brie. He placed a hand on her back, venting softly as she turned and tried to nuzzle up against him. He quickly moved to lie down beside her, drawing her into his arms as she began to cry again.

"Shh…it's gonna be ok Brie. Ah promise," he whispered to her. She murmured something too soft for even his hearing to pick up and his face darkened ominously. If they had allowed him to be there instead of locking him up none of this would have ever happened!

"Where were you Jazz?" she asked as she finally realized exactly where they were and moved back slightly to look at him. He offlined his visor briefly before it brightened again, a dangerous scowl on his face.

"Optimus had meh…tied up," he said. Brie shivered at the low dark tone in his voice. Somehow she sensed that being 'tied up' meant that he had been confined somewhere and she had to wonder why. He had never run into her brother before…had he?

"Have you met my…Michael before?" she asked. Jazz absently stroked her back as he hesitated, unsure on how to answer her. He knew if he lied and she found out that it would set things between them back again. Yet he wasn't sure how she would take the fact that he had almost exterminated the male in an attempt to deal with the problems that his arrival had caused.

Brie could tell something was up. She knew Jazz too well. He would never hesitate unless he was debating on what to tell her. She watched as he dropped his arms from her and slid off the berth, stepping back slightly. It was almost as if he was expecting her to strike out at him.

"Yeah…Ah met him recently in tha hallway. He was sneakin' around. Ah was already slagged off and…Ah lost mah temper a bit more. If 'Raj hadn' come along…" his voice trailed off as he watched Brie steadily. She stared at him as she tried to process his words.

"Did…did you do something to him?" she asked quietly. She watched him flinch and immediately regretted the words as he straightened and his posture took on a cool almost casual stance that belied the hurt that he felt at her words.

"No. Ah'm an Autobot," he said, his words short and clipped. Brie vented softly as she sat up.

"Jazz…I'm sorry. I know you would never do something like that. I just…" this time it was her turn to trail off and Jazz relaxed slightly as he moved closer again. At least she didn't seem as mad at him as he had expected. It made him wonder just how big of a disaster the meeting between her and the human male had been.

"What happened Brie?" he asked as he reached out and took one of her hands in his. Brie dropped her optics but not before Jazz saw the deep pain that flashed within them.

"Something I should have expected. He…he thinks you guys did something to me. He…thinks I'm a monster now," she whispered brokenly. Jazz was barely able to restrain the low growl that threatened to rumble from his chest. Oh he should have just squashed that human when he had the chance code of conduct be damned!

"Ya know he's wrong. Yer a beautiful young femme. Ya have yer whole life ahead of ya. It might not be one that ya had planned but surely there are some things that ya enjoy?" he prodded gently. Brie nodded slightly as the pain receded and she allowed the peace and safety she always felt within Jazz's presence coming rolling up to take its place.

"There are many good things," she finally said as she stood. She hesitated only briefly before moving to stand before him, gazing up into his startled face. Inwardly taking a deep breath she wrapped her arms around his neck and stretched up, pressing her lips shyly to his. As his arms closed around her, holding her close as he gently responded to the kiss one thought flashed through the back of her mind.

_'I don't care what Michael says. I can't leave them. I can't leave…Jazz.'  
_

* * *

Michael finally managed to pick the lock and pushed the door open slowly, glancing around the area warily. Surprisingly he found no guards and he stepped out into the hallway a bit more boldly. Though the area was big enough to allow even a 'Bot Optimus' size to travel through it there were no signs of any of them and Michael could barely contain his glee. Oh they were so going to regret what they did to his sister!

"Just where do you think you're going human?" the deep growled words came from behind and he jumped as he whirled around to find himself confronted by the same gold and silver mechs that he had seen in the rec room. The gold mech was glaring at him with a mixture of anger and disgust, while the silver one seemed as if he wanted nothing more than to pull his blades and skewer him on the spot.

"Oh it was kind of boring so I thought I'd take in the sights. You here to give me a guided tour?" he drawled sarcastically. He refused to be intimidated by the pair. After all, if they were going to kill him they would have done so already. Sunstreaker's optics narrowed dangerously at the male's insolence. If he knew that he wouldn't face severe consequences for his actions he would just squash the slagging pest and be done with it!

"You claim to love your sister. Shouldn't that mean you love her no matter what form she takes?" Sideswipe asked coolly. Michael's eyes flashed dangerously.

"I do love my sister! I don't care if she's purple with black polka dots! What I do care about is the fact that you experimented on her for your own sick pleasures!" he snarled. This time Sunstreaker did take a step forward, uncaring of the trouble he would get into for dealing with the mouthy fleshling once and for all.

**~Don't do it Sunny. He's not worth the brig time. He'll be gone soon enough,~** Sideswipe said quickly. Sunstreaker let out a low threatening growl as he reluctantly stepped back.

**~Maybe we should arrange for Jazz to 'meet' up with him again,~** he replied. Sideswipe quickly shook his head.

**~Despite our recent…issues Jazz is a good 'Bot and friend. He doesn't deserve to be punished for going against the Autobot code,~** Sideswipe said. Sunstreaker vented harshly, reluctantly agreeing with his twin. Before the human femme had come along they had never had a problem with the saboteur. He was an excellent ally to have out on the battlefield. No, the human would have to have an 'accident' some other way. Some way that couldn't be traced back to them or to Jazz…or even the 'Con. As much as the golden frontliner hated to admit it, Barricade truly was interested in keeping Brie safe. Then again…

**~Don't do it Sunny,~** Sideswipe warned, catching the train of thought that his twin was pursuing. Sunstreaker scowled but reluctantly turned his thoughts away. As much as he wanted to be rid of the 'Con he didn't want to do it at the femme's safety.

"I think you need to turn around and crawl back into your hole before you run into somebot that might not be as…nice as we are," he said coldly. Michael laughed.

"Nice? You two? I've heard about you. The Psycho Twins is how you're referred to around the base," he sneered. Sunstreaker smirked and Sideswipe actually seemed to preen at his words.

"It's nice to see that our reputation is growing," Sunstreaker purred. Michael blinked as he eyed the volatile mech before him with a sudden wariness. He had been warned about these two but he had blown off the warnings. Now he was beginning to realize that he should have taken them seriously after all.

"Yeah…um…maybe I'll just head back into my room now," he said before quickly stepping back inside and closing the door. Sunstreaker laughed as he leaned against the wall, his twin following suit. It appeared that the human had a sense of self-preservation after all.

* * *

Barricade peered into the living room of Brie's quarters later that evening, cautiously scanning the area for Jazz. Not seeing him, he slipped quietly into the room, carrying two cubes of Energon. His plan had been to leave them on the table and exit before Jazz grew wise to his presence. Unfortunately he hadn't counted on the saboteur lying in wait for him.

"There ya are 'Cade mah man. Ah think we need ta talk," he purred as he stepped out of the darkened berth room. Barricade froze in his tracks even as he cursed himself silently. He should have known that the smaller mech wouldn't have let him escape unscathed.

"Jazz I was just bringing you some Energon. I would stay and chat but I need to meet with Optimus and Prowl about some things," he said as he quickly set the cubes down and tried to step around the other mech. Jazz matched his movements and Barricade scowled. He so didn't want to get into this right now. Not when Brie had been so upset earlier.

"Ah think they can wait. Ah have a few things ta say ta them as well," he growled, his visor darkening. Barricade braced himself. Things were going to get ugly.

"Look Jazz, it needed to be done. Brie needed to see that her brother wasn't the person she remembered. We were there with her. There was no chance of her getting hurt…physically," he said with a deep sigh. Jazz spread his legs slightly and assumed his usual casual stance, the one that fooled nearly everyone into believing he was more relaxed than they thought. Barricade wasn't stupid. He knew that it was the saboteur's way of throwing his intended targets off guard before he struck.

"Why didn' ya want meh there?" he asked, his voice cool and calm. It made Barricade tense even more. He had a feeling that Jazz was only toying with him, waiting for him to let his guard down before he struck. It was a feeling that he didn't like.

"Optimus told me the reason he didn't want you there. You had an encounter with the human before and if Mirage hadn't been following you things might have gone badly," he replied equally as coolly. Jazz tensed slightly, the only sign that he gave that Barricade's words struck true.

"Ah wasn' gonna hurt him. Just wanted ta scare him. Make him think twice 'bout hurtin' Brie," he replied with a distinct edge in his voice. He didn't like being reminded just how close he had come to breaking the Autobot code. Barricade crossed his arms over his chest, his red optics locked firmly on Jazz's slightly darker than usual visor.

"I know different Jazz. You weren't going to just scare him. As angry as you were you were going to dispose of him before he could become a serious threat. That's why we couldn't allow you to be there. Brie needed this," he growled. Jazz shifted slightly and Barricade tensed. He couldn't get a reading of the other mech's intentions and it made him extremely uneasy. If things had been different Jazz would have made a fine Decepticon indeed. Somehow Barricade didn't think it would help if he pointed that out at this particular time.

"Ya don' know meh 'Con. No one does. Not even mah friends or comrades know what Ah'm capable of. So don' stand there and presume that ya know meh. Ya only know what Ah want ya ta know. Ya would be wise ta remember that 'fore ya sneak 'round mah back and make decisions 'bout Brie without consultin' meh," he snarled. Barricade eyed him cautiously, but said nothing more. The saboteur didn't seem all that eager to strike out, most likely due to the fact that Brie was close by. It didn't mean that he wouldn't find a way to get his revenge later and Barricade knew it. He would just have to be prepared for anything that the mech might throw at him.

Jazz watched as Barricade nodded abruptly before relaxing his stance and turning away. He walked over to grab his cube of Energon before sinking down onto the couch, throwing a casual 'thanks' at the ex-Con that surprised him. As he sipped at it, ignoring the other mech as he walked over to slip into his favorite chair he thought back to the kiss he and Brie shared and smiled slightly. He couldn't wait until she woke from her recharge. He just hoped that she didn't regret the kiss.


	39. Desperate Measures

**Hmm...after several days of musing on this and having another set of eyes read over it (Thank you Sunstreaker's Squishy!) I've decided that this is as good as it's going to get. I'm still not completely happy with it but it is what it is. Somethings might not seem plausible but hey, it's fanfiction LOL. I do hope everyone had a happy holiday and got everything they wanted! Me...I got Sunstreaker to keep his brother company and a small Prowl...though size doesn't matter =D Thank you to all of my new reviewers/subscribers and silent readers that have helped make this so popular!**

* * *

Two weeks passed and Michael was getting desperate. He hadn't seen Brie since that one disastrous meeting and he was getting more and more aggravated. He was rarely escorted from his cell and when he was he was surrounded by both soldiers and those annoying terror twins. He shuddered at the thought. The golden one intimidated him more than the silver one, though he would never admit it. No use giving the psycho an even bigger ego than he already had.

He paced his 'room' restlessly, his mind spinning. He needed to find Brie and get her away from these…these…his mind couldn't even think of a word to describe the beings holding him captive. Once he got her back to Lord Megatron he would fix her and he would have his beloved sister back.

"Yo Thorne, time to go!" Epps' voice was cheerful as he unlocked the door and Michael whirled around to face him, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Go? What do you mean?" he snarled. Epps merely smirked and Michael could see the forms of a pair of gold and silver legs out in the hallway. It figured that they would send those two.

"I mean your stay with us is over. We're going to escort you out and you're not to come back," he replied coolly. Michael's hands clenched into fists.

"I'm not going _anywhere_ without my sister!" Epps stepped into the room, followed closely by Will and another pair of soldiers whose names escaped Michael for the moment.

"Oh so _now_ she's your sister? Funny, you didn't think so when you saw her," Will said with a growl. Michael took a step forward, halting at the sound of guns being cocked.

"I was surprised! I didn't realize that these creatures had already had time to experiment on her!" he snapped. Out in the hallway Sunstreaker growled.

"Come out here and say that to our faces squishy!" he snarled. Michael flinched ever so slightly and Will exchanged a look with Epps. The decision to bring Sunstreaker and Sideswipe along had been a good one after all.

"So you can turn me into a pile of goo? No thanks!" he called back. Sideswipe laughed as Sunstreaker smirked. It was so amusing to toy with this human. He had, as the humans said, no balls at all. Sunstreaker frowned momentarily as he shuddered. He didn't want to even imagine what kind of interfacing equipment the human may or may not have.

"You have no choice in the matter. Per Optimus Prime and Second in Command Prowl's orders, you are hereby banished from the Autobot base. Should you choose to try and return we are not responsible for any actions the Autobots may take to defend themselves," Will said formally. Michael hissed, his body twitching. Oh how he wanted to jump the man and beat his brains out! As the two nameless soldiers gripped his arms tightly and escorted him from the room one thought burned through his brain.

_'They have to relax their guard at some point in time. When they do…they're going to regret everything they have done to my sister.  
_

* * *

Starscream's strangled cry echoed throughout the room as he bounced off the wall and sagged down to the floor. He cringed as he watched his leader stalk towards him and silently cursed the human and Sideways. What in the slag was taking them so long?

Megatron glared down at the cowering mech, his optics nearly blazing with a mixture of impatience and anger. It had been a few weeks since the tracking device on the human male had gone offline and he was more than a little annoyed. He knew he should never have sent a human in to do a mech's job!

"L-Lord Megatron p-please…allow me to go find out what is going on for you," Starscream managed to spit out as the Decepticon leader reached down for him. He watched as the other mech paused for a moment, seeming to think it over. Relief shot through his veins at he straightened back up and nodded abruptly.

"See that you do not fail me this time Starscream," he growled before turning away. Starscream all but crawled out of the room, one dark thought crossing his processor.

_'When I have the femme in my claws it will be YOU who will bow down to me Megatron!'  
_

* * *

Sideways remained hidden in the small garage that sat beside the remains of the partially destroyed house, brooding. He had dropped the human off quite some time ago and the male had yet to complete his mission. He chuckled darkly as he sank down on his axles slightly. He could just imagine the amount of anger that Starscream was dealing with at the moment.

He powered down to recharge, leaving his sensors online. Though Soundwave had installed a device to keep the Autobots from discovering him too soon he wasn't glitched enough to take everything offline. It would be just his luck that the Autobots would discover his location after all.

_'Human if you betrayed us I will make Barricade's punishments seem like child's play!'_ was the mech's last thoughts before drifting off into recharge…and images of having the femme that he had been sent to retrieve underneath him as he dominated her. After all, Megatron never said that she had to remain untouched.

* * *

Jazz watched Brie as she glided around the room restlessly. He knew she was getting anxious to leave her quarters, but until Michael was safely out of the base they were taking no chances. He vented softly. He knew that she was avoiding him. The kiss had made things awkward between them and Jazz wasn't sure how to fix it short of kissing her again.

"Brie, calm down. Ya will be able ta leave yer quarters soon," he said, deliberately keeping his accent in place. As long as they had company he would keep true to how the others knew him. On the other side of the room, Barricade let out a loud exasperated sound.

"Brie, just go kiss him again already! You two are driving me slagging nuts!" he growled. Brie jumped, a faint blush coming to her face as she ducked her head. Jazz shot the mech an unamused glare, to which he merely shrugged. Jazz made a mental note to follow up on his little 'talk' with him again later. He still hadn't fully resolved things with him, though he had felt better relieving some of his anger.

"I don't know what you're talking about 'Cade," she finally said, her voice a near whisper. Barricade snorted as Frenzy rolled his optics before turning to leave the room. He needed to go see what the progress was on the eviction of the human male. Barricade watched him go before focusing his attention on his charge.

"Brie, I know you better than anyone. I've watched over you for years and I know when you're avoiding something, or someone. It wasn't very hard for me to put together what happened that night," he said firmly. Brie fidgeted and Jazz hissed a warning at the ex-Con, to which he received a middle finger. If Jazz wasn't going to gather up the bearings to do something then he was going to force the issue.

Brie stole a shy glance over at Jazz, who had turned his irate attention from Barricade onto her. His gaze softened at her look. He wasn't going to push her into anything that she wasn't ready for. He would let her make the first move no matter how long it took or how impatient he might be.

"Slag!" Barricade's voice cut through the tension, startling Brie and causing Jazz to tense instinctively. The saboteur watched as the other mech leapt to his feet and began to stalk towards the door; anger and frustration clear in his posture. He gave a visibly worried Brie a reassuring smile before hurrying over to catch up to the ex-Con just before he exited the room.

**::What's goin' on?::** he demanded over a private comm link. Barricade vented as he glanced towards Brie before turning his attention back to Jazz.

**::There's been some problems with the human. He managed to slip away from his guards,::** he growled. Jazz stiffened.

**::How did that happen? Weren' tha twins supposed ta be on duty?::** he snarled quietly. Barricade shrugged slightly.

**::All I know is that he's loose somewhere in the base,::** he said. Jazz's visor flashed as he stepped away and allowed Barricade to exit. As much as he wanted to join in the hunt for the vile male that had hurt his Brie there was no way he was going to chance leaving her alone.

Brie watched the silent and tense exchange between Barricade and Jazz before the other mech stalked out, leaving her alone with Jazz. She saw the tension slowly slip from his body as he turned to face her, his visor rising automatically as he moved towards her. She twitched briefly but otherwise made no attempt to move away, even as he came to a stop just inches from her.

"What's going on Jazz?" she asked quietly. She watched him hesitate, as if debating on his words before he vented softly and spoke, his accent once again gone.

"Apparently your brother has disappeared somewhere in the base. The others are trying to locate him," he said. He saw her flinch as hurt flashed across her face and he had to fight down the growl that threatened to rumble up from his chest. Slagging glitch should have been dealt with long before now.

"What's going to happen when they find him?" she responded, lowering her optics. She knew deep in her spark what the outcome could, and would possibly, be but she needed to hear it confirmed. Jazz shook his head as he reached out and took her hand in his.

"They're going to try and capture him without use of deadly force. If he resists though…" his voice trailed off and Brie nodded weakly. She could expect no less. He was a potential threat and he needed to be neutralized as soon as possible. Despite his harsh words it didn't mean that the thought of him being killed didn't hurt.

Jazz pulled her gently to him, wrapping his arms protectively around her. Brie closed her eyes as she leaned into him, the soft hum of his spark underneath her ear helping to calm and soothe her. She frowned as she felt a strange pull within her chest and she made a note to speak to Ratchet about it. For now all that mattered was that she was safe with Jazz and there was no other place that she wanted to be.

* * *

"Now this is what I'm talking about," Michael chuckled to himself as he checked the ammo of the weapon he held. He had quickly found the gear that Lennox and his team wore when on a mission and donned it. A brief scoping of the room netted him the weapon he now held; a weapon that he knew was capable of taking down any Cybertronian that it hit, though he wasn't exactly sure what it did. A regular handgun was added to his arsenal, to take care of those pesky humans that might get in his way.

With a deadly smirk on his face, he strolled boldly out of the room and down the hallway. He heard the sound of footsteps echoing around him and he couldn't help the dark laugh that escaped him. Those fools were looking all over for him and yet here he was in almost plain sight. Now, to find where they were keeping Brie…

"There he is!" the shout of the soldier made Michael flinch slightly though he quickly recovered. He whirled around and raised the handgun, quickly firing one single shot. The soldier dropped to the ground, dead instantly and Michael grinned. It appeared that all that training that he had received with the Decepticons was going to pay off.

The sound of a cannon whirling up caught his attention and he turned, raising the other weapon he had almost casually and firing at the imposing figure of Ironhide. The mech let out a surprised cry before dropping to the ground, knocked into stasis. Michael frowned; he had hoped that the weapon would kill them. He shrugged slightly as he continued on his way. Dead or in stasis as he heard the Decepticons call that particular state it was all good. All he needed was for them to be out of the way long enough to retrieve his sister and escape.

Several turns and several downed bodies later, Michael stumbled upon an unknown door. He paused, listening intently. His face grew cold as he heard the sound of Brie's voice as well as the saboteur who had nearly killed him during their last encounter. He checked his weapon and noted that it had just enough charge left for one more shot and his grin was blood curdling. He would take great pleasure in taking down the one mech that had been such a thorn in Lord Megatron's side for so long. He took a deep breath and tapped on the door as loudly and firmly as he could. Oh this was going to be so much fun for him!

* * *

Jazz frowned at the sound of the tapping. His visor snapped down as he tensed and Brie pushed away slightly to glance up at him. She was puzzled and a bit alarmed at the look on his face. It was the look that she imagined that he employed when on a mission. It was the face of a warrior.

"Brie, I want you to go into your berth room and lock the door. Don't come out for ANYONE except me or 'Cade," he said sternly. Brie hesitated as the tapping came again, louder this time. A gentle push sent her towards the room and she did as instructed, closing and locking the door before climbing on the berth. She curled up into a small ball, a whimper escaping her. Why did she have such a feeling of impending doom?

**::'Cade? What's yer position?:: **Jazz commed as he stalked slowly towards the door. Nothing but silence met his query and the saboteur's instincts kicked into high gear. Something had happened to the ex-Con and he bet that it had something to do with that pit-spawned human.

**::Prowler? Optimus?::** he tried again.

**::Jazz? Don't open the door! Ironhide's down and Ratchet's working to get him back up. The Twins and Barricade are down as well,::** Optimus' voice was calm as usual but Jazz could hear the note of worry and fury underneath. The Autobot leader was livid and Jazz knew that if he got his hands on the human himself that he would dispose of the threat himself.

**::Ya got it boss bot,::** he replied before cutting the com link. He paused at the door and listened as the tapping came again.

"Ya gotta try harder than that human. Ah don' know how ya took down tha others but yer not gettin' a chance with meh," he growled. Outside the door Michael hissed. Damn it he should have known that one of the bastards would have warned the mech!  
"Look, all I want is my sister. You let her go and I swear we'll leave. I won't even tell Lord Megatron where your base is," he said. Jazz snorted. Did the human not realize that he specialized in knowing when he was being lied to?

"Do ya know what mah specialty is 'sides sabotage and spyin'? Interrogation and detectin' lies. Ya can't lie ta meh human," he growled. At his words Michael lost all control of his temper.

"LET ME IN YOU WALKING TIN CAN! I WANT MY DAMN SISTER!" he shouted. In her berth room Brie flinched. This was not the Michael that she remembered. A single tear escaped her optics as she realized the painful truth: the Michael she had known and loved was long gone. This Michael was a stranger; a stranger that was intent on taking her away from the very 'Bots that were now her family.

"Keep talkin' human. Yer sister is gettin' a clear picture of yer nature," Jazz replied coolly. Michael kicked at the door before quickly turning away as he heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. He slipped off down the hall, searching for the back entrance that he knew the base had. He knew where the Autobot base was now. Once he was free he would lead Lord Megatron to it…and rescue his sister as he gleefully watched the destruction of the Autobots.


	40. Michael's Escape

**Another chapter out surprisingly quickly! Still feels a bit off but *shrugs* I still like it. As with all chapters take everything with a grain of salt. Some things may not be plausible but it makes for good fanfiction I think!  
**

* * *

Jazz heard the sound of shouting outside the door and had to restrain the urge to join the fight. He could clearly hear the sound of humans going down under gunfire and he frowned. He was sure that the human had one of Lennox's own weapons to disable them. So why was it only the humans that he was targeting?

"GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT YOU FRAGGING COWARD!" Sunstreaker's roar echoed throughout the hallway and Jazz winced at the sound. The easiest way to ensure your demise was to slag off the volatile golden frontliner.

"Michael you will halt immediately!" Will's voice boomed out and Jazz heard the sound of the human's mocking laughter from somewhere down the hallway.

"You'll have to catch me!" he taunted. Jazz heard Ironhide's cannons whirling as a deep growl emanated from the mech and he shook his head even as a smirk played across his face. If Sunstreaker didn't get him then Ironhide definitely would.

Michael was having a blast as he slipped down the various hallways, pausing to take out the soldier that would happen to be unlucky enough to catch up to him. He knew that he was close to the exit, he could tell by the way Lennox and his team was frantically trying to stop him. He had no intention of letting them though. He was just glad that the saboteur was apparently not involved in the search. He would have less of a chance of escaping. As it was he knew that the medic had brought the spy Mirage back online and he was impossible to see coming.

A few more turns and he found the small human sized door tucked discreetly at the end of a tunnel. He shoved it open and dashed outside; the sound of the alarm going off unfazing him. He immediately turned and darted into the thick strand of trees and began to implement the skills he had learned about evading capture as he set out several false trails for the humans to follow. The 'Bots couldn't get through the thick woods, which made it so much easier to escape and contact Sideways.

After several moments he could no longer hear the sounds of his pursuers and he crept cautiously towards the edge of the trees. He peered out as he hid behind a particularly tall and thick tree and relaxed as he saw no signs of either 'Bot or human. A flash of silver from nearby caught his attention and he spotted Sideways hidden several yards away. How had the 'Con been able to find him when he had had his communicator taken from him by the paranoid head of the Autobots security? As he crept towards the hidden 'Con, he allowed his thoughts to drift back in time once again.

_Upon arrival at the Decepticon base, the humans had been separated into different groups. There was a group that was destined to do the general labor, and Michael thought that he had seen his parents among that group, though he couldn't be for sure. The most attractive of females had been led away, for medical exams and to be settled into their new residences for protection. Try as he might Michael couldn't see his sister among them and his spirits sank. He could only hope that if she perished that her death had been quick and painless. _

_ His group had been led into a separate area, where they had themselves undergone quick medical evaluations. The weak were filtered out and Michael wasn't sure that he wanted to know what happened to them. He and James had been placed in the group that was to be trained on how to protect the base and the fragile females._

_ Months passed and the training took its toll. Michael grew more fit, his mind sharper. James on the other hand hadn't fared so well. Two months into the training he had been plucked from Michael's group and disappeared and that was the last that Michael had seen of his childhood friend. By the time training was through only a handful of males remained and they were given their own select group to guard._

_ Michael continued to discreetly inquire about his sister, only to receive negative news. No one had seen her and Michael resigned himself to the fact that she was gone. It was only after Sideways had brought him before Lord Megatron that he learned differently._

"What the slag took you so long human? Where's the femme?" Sideways growled as he opened a door for Michael to climb inside. Michael jumped slightly, pulled from his thoughts, and a snarl etched itself upon his lips.

"The Autobots have her locked up with one of them guarding her. They've turned her into one of your kind!" he shot back. Sideways was quiet, processing the information. So it appeared that it was even more important than ever to retrieve the female. Sideways hesitated on whether to contact Megatron or not. On one hand he wanted to take the female for himself; he had had his eye on her since he had discovered her. On the other hand he knew the price for betraying Megatron, a price that Barricade would discover when they got their hands on him. In the end he vented softly and contacted Megatron as they drove out of the building and headed for the nearby road.

_'Lord Megatron I have the human male and he has news…'_

* * *

Sunstreaker was furious. Not only had the vile fleshling gotten the drop on them, he had escaped! Now they were faced with the question of what to do next. Did they dare stay in the base and fortify it for the attack that they knew was coming? Or did they head for their next backup, further away? Either way it was enough to have Sunstreaker itching to skewer something or someone with his sword, most preferably the human or a 'Con.

"He knows where the base is Optimus! We need to move!" Red Alert's voice was panicky and the golden frontliner shook his head with a muttered curse. The head of security was in full blown panic and nothing Inferno could say or do would calm him. Optimus was pinching the bridge of his nose, his legendary patience beginning to wear thin. At a subtle sign Ratchet stepped forward and injected a sedative into one of the mech's lines, instantly dropping him into stasis. Inferno caught him easily.

"Take him and make sure that he rests until his glitch settles some," Ratchet instructed. Inferno nodded and disappeared out of the room, leaving Optimus alone with his top officers, minus Jazz. Jazz was still guarding Brie though Barricade was on his way to relieve him so he could attend the meeting.

"Red has a point Optimus. The base has been compromised," Will said, his voice flat. They had just finished laying the bodies of the slain soldiers in a temporary morgue and the duty was sitting heavily on him. Beside him Epps nodded, though his face was tight with barely restrained anger. Should he get his hands on Michael there would be nothing left of the male.

"I know Major Lennox," was all the Autobot leader said wearily.

"So why are we just standing here? We should get moving now before the slagging 'Cons do show up!" Ironhide growled.

"It's not that simple 'Hide," Chromia said as she laid a soothing hand on her mate's arm. Ironhide's optics softened briefly before hardening again.

"We have to think of Brie. She's in a fragile state right now," Elita said. Optimus nodded. The girl had gone through so much; how much more was she going to have to endure before finding peace in her new life?

"All the more reason to move! You know what's going to happen if those Decepticreeps get their hands on her!" Sideswipe snapped. Optimus shot him a dark look.

"Yes Sideswipe we know. Allow Jazz to join us before we make a decision," Optimus said firmly. Silence fell over the room, though the red and blue mech knew that everyone was unhappy. As much as he agreed that they needed to move he needed to speak to Jazz. After all, he and Barricade were charged with keeping her safe. It was time to go over preventative measures to ensure that the mess with Michael never happened again.

* * *

Barricade entered Brie's quarters and immediately ducked as a clawed hand raked out at him. He let out a loud huff as he crouched down, waiting for Jazz to realize who he was. After a moment the saboteur settled and Barricade stood, still eyeing the smaller mech warily. He knew just how much damage those claws were capable of inflicting and now was not the time to be laid up in med bay being patched up.

"Slag it 'Cade why didn' ya warn meh?" Jazz snapped as he slowly relaxed his position. Barricade merely glared at him.

"Where's Brie?" he asked. Jazz nodded to the closed berth room door and Barricade relaxed.

"Your Prime needs you in a meeting. I'll stay and keep watch over Brie," he said. Jazz shrugged and strolled out the door. Barricade watched him go before walking over and knocking at the closed door.

"Brie it's safe to come out!" he called out. In the room Brie relaxed as she slid off the berth and hurried towards the door. It slid open at her touch and she immediately peered around Barricade into the room. She frowned as she realized that Jazz was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Jazz?" she asked as she stepped out into the room. Barricade had to turn away to hide his smirk. It appeared that things between the two were progressing nicely.

"He had to go speak to Prime about something," he replied. He watched as Brie drifted over to the couch and sank down, her disappointment clear.

"Is everything all right?" she finally asked. Barricade hesitated then vented softly. She had a right to know so she could be prepared.

"Your…brother has escaped," he said, his distaste clear on the word 'brother'. Despite how things had ended, she couldn't help but feel relieved. She didn't want the Autobots to have to kill him. He was, after all, the only blood relation she had left.

"I see…" was all she said in reply. Barricade took his usual seat and fixed his red optics on her, and she could see the mixture of annoyance and pity in them.

"Brie, I thought you understood. He's not the same brother that you knew," he said. Brie dropped her optics as pain shot through her at the recollection of his words.

"I know," she whispered. Barricade's optics softened. She was trying to cling to her old life and they couldn't allow that to happen. If she was ever going to be happy she needed to accept the fact that she was no longer human and she had a new family now; a family that would do anything to protect her. He just needed to get her to see that.

* * *

"What's up boss bot?" Jazz drawled as he strolled into the room. His optics behind his visor flashed around the room as he fought down the urge to lash out. He still hadn't forgiven them for locking him away when he could have been protecting Brie.

"Jazz, the human escaped," Optimus said softly. Jazz stiffened as his visor flashed.

"SLAG IT!" this time he allowed the growl to escape as he began to pace. He knew he should have offlined that fragger when he had the chance!

"Easy Jazz. We just simply need to move again," Optimus continued. Jazz nodded immediately.

"When do we start?" he asked. Will looked surprised at the saboteur's easy agreement.

"As soon as possible. I've already sent Red Alert and Inferno to get the systems powered up," Optimus replied in a voice that was distinctly relieved. Jazz nodded and turned to leave.

"Jazz, we are sorry," Elita said quietly, stopping the smaller mech in his tracks. Jazz stiffened before forcing himself to relax.

"It's all good. Ya did what ya thought was best," he replied coolly. Ironhide took a step forward and Jazz's head turned towards him. Whatever he saw in Jazz's visor made him pause and the saboteur nodded slightly in approval. They knew better than to push him when he was already tense.

"Jazz…" Ironhide's voice trailed off, uncharacteristically at a loss for words and a small smirk twisted Jazz's lips.

"Ah didn' think anythin' could make ya speechless 'Hide," he forced himself to tease. It must have worked since the tension in the room eased and the weapons specialist chuckled.

"Don't get used to it," he replied. Jazz's smirk widened as he shook his head. Oh he could think of a few ways to make the bigger mech speechless.

"Ah'm gonna go get Brie ready," he said. Optimus nodded.

"How is she doing?" Elita asked quietly. Jazz relaxed slightly as a tired sound escaped him.

"She's upset. What exactly happened durin' their meetin'?" he asked as he turned to face the femme. Chromia scowled at the memory.

"Exactly what we thought would happen. He rejected her," Sideswipe said, catching Jazz off guard. The small saboteur frowned. No wonder she was so upset. Without another word Jazz exited the room, heading back to Brie's quarters. He wouldn't allow anyone to hurt his Brie again, no matter who it was or what he had to do to prevent it.

* * *

Megatron landed in front of the mountain, Starscream and his Trine close behind. Sideways stood nearby with the human ready to fight, even as more Decepticons came into view. Megatron walked over and knelt before the human

"You did very well. Sideways said that you said your sister is one of us now?" he growled. Michael nodded and shivered as Megatron smiled. Something about that smile just rubbed Michael the wrong way.

"We will rescue your sister," the Decepticon leader said as he stood. Michael nodded then paused.

"She…you can cure her right? Change her back to the way she was?" he asked. Megatron stared at him for a moment, wondering if he should just offline the human and be done with it. In the end he decided against it. He would be instrumental in getting and keeping Brie under control.

"I'm not sure. I'll have to have Scalpel and Knock Out examine her closely," he replied before turning away and walking back over to where Starscream stood sulking. He would have the two medics examine her all right: they would examine her to make sure that she was still untouched. While he could hope that it was the case it wouldn't deter him from making her his if she wasn't.

"Starscream I want you, Thundercracker and Skywarp to begin bombarding the mountain. I will have my human soldiers situated where the human escaped from. Sideways, I want you to go as well just in case there's an exit for the Autobots there as well," Megatron instructed. The silver mech nodded and moved to follow Michael and the soldiers towards the area as Starscream reluctantly took to the sky. Megatron took his position, with Soundwave and Shockwave spreading out several feet away and nodded. At the signal the Seekers unleashed their missiles and Megatron smirked as a thought crossed his processor.

_'It's time to come home my little Brie.'_


	41. Megatron Attacks and Brie Is Taken

**My fight scenes aren't that great so I try to keep them short LOL. I will take the time to mention something. I've read many fanfictions and have settled on a couple of things that I want to incorporate into my fic. One I will keep in the chapters on her and that's spark bonding. The other as it relates to 'interfacing' will only be in the edited chapters I put up on the other site. I do this to not only stay within the guidelines of the rating system but to also keep from inflicting on my loyal readers and reviewers here something that they may not like or enjoy reading. So several chapters might seem to abruptly shift in scenes that is the reason why. I will vaguely allude to it in a chapter or two but that's it. With all that said hope you enjoy!  
**

**Also, to those reviewers that put in a request, it's most likely going to take me a bit longer than I expected to begin. I'm currently trying to figure out the best way to start and incorporate the things you want successfully and somewhat logically. I thank you for bearing with me and here's hoping that I can soon begin starting your requests =)**

* * *

"SLAG!" the curse rang out as the base began to shake, alerting the 'Bots and humans that the Decepticons had arrived and were beginning their assault. Will and Epps immediately ran to get their gear, shouting orders to their troops as they did so. Optimus' optics flashed as Ironhide's cannons spun in eagerness.

"Time to kick some 'Con aft!" Sideswipe grinned. Elita frowned at him.

"Our first priority is to distract them and give the humans and Brie time to get to safety," she scolded. Sunstreaker scowled but said nothing. Sideswipe had the good grace to look slightly ashamed.

**::Jazz, Barricade what's your status?::** Prowl's voice was cool and calm as he commed both mechs. There was a moment's hesitation before Jazz responded and Prowl could tell that he was severely slagged off.

**::Tryin' ta get Brie ta move! She wants ta give herself up!::** he snarled. Prowl stiffened as Optimus looked at him in concern.

**::Get her to move using whatever means you have to. Do NOT let her out of your sight!:: **the SIC replied. There was silence from the other end before Barricade finally responded.

**::Jazz is attempting to get her to see reason. If worse comes to worse I'll simply have to put her under and allow Jazz to come help you fight,::** he replied. Prowl vented softly before replying.

**::Understood.::** With that response Prowl turned to Optimus and the others, who were watching him in a mixture of concern and impatience. His next words brought loud shouts and snarls of protests from everyone in the room.

"Brie wishes to give herself up."

* * *

"NO and that's final Brie!" Jazz snarled as he glared at the stubborn femme before him. Upon learning that the Decepticons had found them and were attacking she had immediately offered to turn herself in. There was no reason for her Autobot or human friends to suffer just because Megatron had an itch to procreate.

"It's the best thing Jazz! Once he has me he'll leave you alone!" she shot back. Barricade snorted as he stood across the room, scowling.

"Femme have you learned NOTHING from your time at the base? Megatron wants to DESTROY the Autobots! He'll bring this mountain down to get you AND kill the 'Bots!" he snarled. Brie actually hesitated before returning Barricade's glare. For a moment neither Jazz nor Barricade could hide their flash of pride at her defiance…too bad it was asserting itself at the wrong time.

"Brie, don' push meh," Jazz warned. As much as he didn't want to do it he would put her into temporary stasis to keep her safe…even if it meant losing her trust and having to start over from scratch. He could make it up to her once she was safe and the 'Cons were sent packing. Brie crossed her arms over her chest and simply glared at him. Barricade shook his head and pushed away from the wall at a discreet nod from Jazz and moved towards the pair. Brie immediately turned her attention to him and that's when Jazz struck. With a speed born of practice and knowledge Jazz pinched a line in Brie's neck, sending her offline. Barricade moved forward and caught her easily as a look of self-disgust crossed Jazz's face.

"She'll be fine Jazz. This way we know she's safe. Go help Prime and the others. I know you're itching for a good fight," Barricade said coolly. Jazz nodded as he straightened and turned towards the door. He paused at the entrance and his next words made Barricade growl even as he strolled out afterwards.

"If anythin' happens ta her Ah'll be sendin' ya ta tha scrap yard."

* * *

Megatron snarled as they continued their assault on the mountain, growing more and more impatient by the moment. Optimus should have been out by now. Had the human led them wrong?

"What now oh glorious leader?" Starscream sneered even as he continued to fire at the mountain. He let out a loud screech as Megatron aimed up briefly and fired a shot at him, narrowly missing him as he quickly dodged out of the way.

"Just keep firing!" he snarled. Starscream scowled but did as ordered…before yelping as another shot was fired at him from behind.

"WHAT THE…"  
"NOT AGAIN!"

The shouts of Thundercracker and Skywarp alerted him to the fact that the two pit-spawned frontliners had obviously made an appearance and he quickly turned to help out his Trine mates. Instead he found himself having to dodge more fire, this time from the Autobot SIC. He immediately returned fire, snarling as the mech who had been responsible for so many successful Autobot attacks and ruined Decepticon plans easily moved, his weapons continuing to fire with precision. A moment later he was joined by one of the very mechs that was responsible for so much of their information being stolen and he had to quickly dodge the saboteur's shots as well. Just where in the pit were the slagging Autobots coming from?

* * *

Michael easily slid through the throng of fighting humans, motioning slightly for the mech trailing him to follow. How Sideways managed to sneak past the soldiers Michael wasn't sure but he wasn't about to question it. Instead he led the mech deeper into the mountain base, vaguely surprised at the lack of Autobot personal. Had they really not stopped to consider that a Decepticon would find this entrance?

"HEY!" As if summoned by the male's thoughts, an unfamiliar Autobot rounded the corner. Sideways immediately fired, catching the mech in the shoulder and leg, disabling both his ability to draw his weapons and his ability to pursue them. Michael let out a laugh at the sight even as they moved towards the area where he knew Brie was being kept. He would be rescuing his sister and there was nothing the damned Autobots could do to stop him!

Barricade paused down the hallway and cursed. He had heard the sound of the Autobot's cry and the sound of a weapon being fired. A moment later he heard the sound of a heavy body hitting the floor and knew by the human's laugh that it was the Autobot. He ducked into an unused room and gently set Brie down on a dusty berth before turning and exiting the room. He headed back down the hallway and a feral snarl was ripped from him at the sight of Michael and Sideways. That fragger had been trying to get his hands on Brie from the moment he had seen her and now that she was Cybertronian he would double his efforts, Megatron's orders be damned.

"Well, well if it isn't the traitor. Tell me where the femme is and maybe I'll give you a merciful death instead of the one Lord Megatron has planned for you," the other mech smirked. Barricade merely narrowed his optics as he braced himself. Sideways wasn't one of the biggest or best fighters but he was quick and Barricade couldn't allow him to get past him.

"Sideways, good to see you again. Still haven't found a femme that can overlook your…shortcomings?" the ex-Con purred. Sideways growled but restrained himself as Michael attempted to slip past Barricade. The mech's optics flickered down to him briefly and Michael yelped as he narrowly avoided being caught by the seemingly casual kick that Barricade threw at him.

"Barricade, I'll give you one last chance. Step aside," Sideways growled, the little patience he had at an end. In response Barricade merely smirked and assumed a stance that Sideways was all too familiar with. He tensed as he prepared to attack. He would dispose of the traitor and retrieve the girl. What happened after that…well no one needed to know but himself.

* * *

Brie's optics suddenly brightened as she shot up, confusion filling her as she glanced around at her unfamiliar surroundings. She heard the sound of voices outside and memory suddenly returned. Her optics flashed with anger as she realized that Jazz had obviously knocked her out. Oh she was SO going to have words with him later!

The sound of metal crashing against metal rang out and Brie was barely able to stifle her cry. The sheer savagery in the revving of the engines and the snarls and curses had her moving to cringe in a corner in a far corner in the back of the room. There was a sudden crackling sound and a loud shout before all went silent. The door slid open and Brie flinched again at the sight of Sideways and Knock Out walking in, Michael moving just a few steps ahead. He spotted Brie in the corner and rushed over, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and sorrow as he stared at her Cybertronian frame. He hadn't lied to the Twins; he loved his sister no matter how she looked. But if Lord Megatron could restore her to her original form permanently then it would be so much better for them.

"Brie, come with me. I'm going to get you help," he said soothingly as he reached out and placed a hand on the smooth metal of her leg. Brie flinched as she turned her attention to him, her optics swimming with Energon tears.

"I-I don't need help Michael. I'm happy here," she whispered. She seemed to sink down further into herself as Knock Out and Sideways surrounded her, matching smirks on their faces. Knock Out pulled a medical scanner from subspace and ran it over her, letting out a pleased hum at the results.

"Well it appears that we can consider this a success," he said to himself. Michael paid no attention to his words, too focused on getting his sister to see reason.

"How can you be happy with what they did to you Brie? Lord Megatron can help you! He can return you to normal," Michael said firmly. Brie stared at him for a moment.

"'Lord' Megatron is the one who did this to me," she replied coolly. Michael scowled at her words.

"Brie, you don't have to lie to me. I know that the Autobots told you to say that. Come on, let us…HEY!" Michael's voice trailed off in a high pitched yelp as Knock Out leaned down and fiddled with something on the side of Brie's neck, sending her back into stasis even as her form shrunk down to its human state.

"Don't worry human this is merely a way to get her out of here safely and faster. It's obvious that they've brainwashed her," Sideways said as Knock Out transformed. He popped the door open expectantly and Michael scooped up his sister's limp form and placed her inside the medic's passenger seat. He watched the door slam shut and the seat belt fasten across her before the medic took off. Sideways folded down into his own alt mode and opened the door for Michael to jump in. As they took off and followed the red sports car Michael could only think of one thing: soon he would have his beloved sister back and all would be well.

* * *

Megatron paused in the middle of the battle, seeming to listen to something. A dark chuckle escaped him as he shoved Optimus off, sending a blast from his fusion cannon after the Autobot leader even as he transformed.

"Decepticons, RETREAT!" he called out before flying off. Immediately all 'Cons followed, Skywarp and Thundercracker following a bit more slowly as they had to dislodge their unwanted passengers, leaving the Autobots to stare after them in confusion. It wasn't like Megatron to call a retreat so quickly. Unless…

"BRIE!" Jazz's voice carried across the field as he turned and tore off back towards the base. Optimus cursed as he realized just exactly why Megatron might have called a retreat as all 'Bots and humans scrambled to follow the small saboteur. As they raced towards the base Optimus found himself praying to Primus that they weren't too late. Brie wouldn't be so lucky to escape Decepticon captivity a second time before Megatron achieved his goals.


	42. Brie's Situation

**So this surgery is a bit more painful to recover from than the last one it seems like. At least I was able to get a little writing done. Here's hoping that I'll have more coming soon! Oh, the bonding/interfacing and sparkling birth methods that I will use I have permission to. Though the more graphic content will be over at the other place I'm posting this.**

* * *

Brie had no clue as to how long she had been unconscious. All she knew upon coming back online was that she was in a different set of quarters…one that was distinctly nothing like her own. The berth was comfortable but as she sat up and slid off of it she could see that the quarters itself was rather…bland. Where was she and how had she gotten here?

Her optics widened as events came rushing back to her and she darted from the berth room and into the living room quarters. She dashed towards the door and let out a soft cry of frustration as the it refused to open. She kicked at it viciously, ignoring the pain that shot up her leg and turned away, restlessly scanning her new environment. It was a cold and sterile place and Brie shivered. She had a feeling that it was merely a temporary residence and that her more permanent ones would be coming all too soon…

The sound of the door opening caught her attention and she whirled around, backing as far away from the incoming mech as she could. Skywarp merely shrugged as he walked over and set a cube of Energon down on the small table in front of the uncomfortable looking couch and turned away, heading back out the door.

"Lord Megatron will be here to see you shortly. I would suggest you refuel before he gets here," the Seeker said as the door closed and locked behind him. Brie merely stared at the door before turning her attention to the seemingly innocent cube on the table. She shuddered even as she turned and took a seat on a chair in the farthest corner of the room. No slagging way was she going to touch it! Who knew what that creepy sadistic little crab medic or Knock Out had put in it?

She drew into herself, keeping her optics fixed firmly on the door. Jazz and the Autobots would rescue her, there was no doubt about it in her processor. She just didn't know how long it was going to take. She had a feeling that Megatron had relocated them to his alternate base and she didn't know if Jazz was aware of it. She just needed to try and keep herself safe from the demented Decepticon leader's advances as long as she could. The door slid open and said mech walked into the room, crimson optics fixed on her as a cold deadly smirk curled up his lips. She cringed as he drew closer, shuttering her optics. She could only hope that help arrived soon. There was only so much she could do to fend off the determined 'Con for so long.

* * *

The Autobot base was in chaos as they struggled to recover from the attack and move to the new base. The dead injured soldiers were laid to rest temporarily in a large storage room in the new base, until they could give them the proper ceremonies. Barricade was laid up in the med bay, being tended to by Ratchet, as was Cliffjumper. Knock Out's weapon had knocked the ex-Con into stasis and caused minor damage to some of his circuits, though not enough to keep Barricade from fighting to break free of Ratchet's hold once he was back online.

"Slag it Autobot let me go!" he roared. Ratchet growled as he reached for his trusty wrench, bringing it down sharply on Barricade's head and stilling him temporarily.

"If you would quit fighting you stubborn glitch I could let you go sooner! I have to make sure that nothing vital got damaged!" he snarled. Barricade settled down, glaring at him all the while. Ratchet continued to scan the mech, unfazed. He heard the sound of the med bay door opening and chanced a quick glance, a curse escaping as he spotted Jazz strolling into the room in a seemingly calm and casual manner. Ratchet wasn't fooled in the least and called for backup even as he placed himself discreetly in front of the mech lying on the berth.

"What do you want Jazz?" he snapped impatiently. The small saboteur came to a stop, dropping into his usual casual stance, though Barricade could see the way his visor flickered ever so briefly. Ratchet caught it as well and shifted slightly, well aware that First Aid and Jolt were standing nearby in case they needed to intervene before backup arrived.

"Relax Ratch Ah'm not here ta cause trouble. Ah know 'Cade did his best," Jazz said coolly. Both Barricade and Ratchet eyed him suspiciously. They all knew that Jazz was as good at hiding his emotions as Prowl was. What the saboteur said or how he looked didn't necessarily mean he felt that way.

"He took one hell of a jolt. I don't know what that slagging 'Con had but it did a number on shocking Barricade's systems out of sync for a bit," Ratchet growled as he turned away to study the results of his scans. Barricade kept his optics fixed on Jazz, forcing himself not to flinch as the smaller mech strolled closer to stand beside the berth.

**::Relax 'Cade Ah meant what Ah said,::** Jazz said via a private com link. Barricade visibly relaxed, rubbing at the newest dent in his head as he eyed Ratchet's back sourly. Despite everything Jazz snickered.

"Haven' ya learned yet not ta tempt tha Hatchet?" he asked then quickly ducked as a wrench came flying at him, accompanied by a warning snarl from the medic. Barricade snorted softly.

"I'm a 'Con I like to live dangerously," he replied dryly. This time it was Jazz's turn to snort in amusement and Barricade could see Jolt and First Aid's lips twitch slightly at his words. He was sure Ratchet had something to say about that but the medic chose to remain quiet until he turned back towards him.

"All right scans are clear. If you experience anything funny you let me know immediately! Don't let me have to hear it from somewhere else…" Ratchet's voice trailed off as he tapped his wrench against his hand and Barricade grimaced. Jazz smirked.

"Don' worry Ratch Ah'll keep a close optic on him," he purred. Barricade rolled his optics as he sat up, sliding off the berth and standing. He took a minute to stretch before turning and strolling across the med bay and exiting the room, Jazz following close behind. It was only after they were gone that Ironhide and Prowl showed up, looking confused, and Ratchet scowled at them.

"You two come here! Since your response time is so slow perhaps it's time I do a checkup," he snapped. Prowl and Ironhide flinched as they exchanged looks, Prowl's doorwings drooping slightly. They hesitated before venting softly and moving forward. If there was one thing they had learned, it was best not to push the medic too far. He had no qualms about leaving as many dents as he fixed up.

* * *

Barricade and Jazz walked along silently until they reached an empty room. Taking a quick glance around, they ducked inside and closed the door. Barricade wasn't too surprised when Mirage suddenly materialized, leaning against a wall and fixing a cool gaze on the ex-Con. For a moment there was silence until finally Jazz spoke.

"Ah'm assumin' that tha 'Cons have moved their base of operations," he said as he fixed a piercing gaze on Barricade. He nodded after a moment's thought.

"That would be the logical assumption," he replied and all three mechs paused at his words. Apparently Prowl had been rubbing off on him without him even realizing it.

"I hope that you know where their new base is," Mirage said calmly. Barricade nodded.

"It's not far from the old one but it is more difficult to get into," he said. Jazz frowned.

"How difficult?" he asked. Barricade vented heavily.

"Difficult as in you will have to find an entrance to the underground tunnels underneath. The last I heard Megatron had had all known entrances sealed up in case of just such an event," he replied. The three mechs fell silent as they pondered the possibilities. Before they could even begin to think of a plan the door was pushed open and they turned to see the silhouettes of two mechs in the doorway. Barricade tensed, a dark growl escaping as Sunstreaker and Sideswipe entered the room, closing the door behind them. Ignoring Barricade, Sunstreaker fixed his gaze on Jazz as he crossed his arms over his chest. His next words surprised all three mechs.

"Whatever you're planning we want in."

* * *

Brie remained frozen in her chair as she watched Megatron come to a stop before her. She hastily averted her optics, fixing her gaze on a wall behind him. As long as she didn't look at him she could pretend that he wasn't there. Well…she could have if he hadn't reached down and took her hand in a surprisingly gentle hold in his.

"I must say Brie, you are even lovelier than I expected," he purred, his optics running over her slowly. She was still small but she was more than capable of carrying and bearing him many fine strong sparklings. Brie gave no response, though she seemed to try and draw even further into herself. Megatron frowned. He was not going to allow that.

"Come Brie I see that you haven't fed," he said as he tugged her to her feet. He felt her dig in her heels slightly and a scowl crossed his face as he glared down at her. She slowly glanced up and shuddered as she allowed him to lead her towards the couch. The message in his optics was clear: she could either move on her own or he would physically move her.

She allowed herself to be pushed down onto the couch and automatically took the cube that was thrust into her hand. Underneath the steady stare of Megatron she began to drink, refusing to acknowledge that she had needed it worse than she thought. She finished it off to a pleased sound from the Decepticon leader and cringed as he took it and set it down before joining her on the couch. Seeming to either not notice or care he reached out and pulled her into his lap and nuzzled her.

"I can make this as painful or as pleasurable as you want femme," he growled softly as one clawed hand began to run along her body in what she was sure he thought was a sensual caress that was intended to arouse. All it did was make her nauseated and she squirmed slightly. He grinned, taking it as a sign that she was enjoying his attentions and his caress grew even more firmer as he explored areas that no one, either Cybertronian or human, had ever explored before. She flinched as his hand came to rest between her legs. Why was he so focused on that area? It wasn't like she had what normal human females had! She was sure that they didn't have anything like that either!

"Hmm…I take it that the Autobot medic didn't bother explaining how sparklings are made or about our interface equipment," he chuckled. Brie stiffened. What did he mean by that?

Before he could continue she found herself suddenly set back on the couch and looked up in surprise as he stood. He smirked as he stared back down at her and she hastily averted her gaze. Megatron laughed as he ran one last hand over her head before stepping back and turning to head for the door. He paused to turn and look over his shoulder and his words caused her to duck down on the couch, making him laugh as he left her temporary quarters.

"Knock Out will be by shortly to remedy that little…lapse in your education. After all, as much as I want an inexperienced mate I would like for you to at least know what's happening."

* * *

"They're planning something." Optimus vented softly at Prowl's words as he leaned back in his chair. The move to their new base was almost complete and he realized that he had lost track of a few certain individuals quite some time ago.

"When was the last time anyone saw them?" he asked as he fixed his tired gaze on his SIC. What he needed was a cube of Energon, preferably High Grade, a night alone with Elita and a decent recharge. It didn't appear that any of that was going to happen anytime soon.

"Ironhide and I passed Barricade and Jazz on the way to the med bay," here Prowl paused as a distinctly uncomfortable look crossed his face and Optimus made a mental note to find out just what had brought that look upon the tactician's face.

"What about Mirage and the Twins?" the Autobot leader asked after a moment. Prowl shook his head.

"No one has seen Mirage since after the battle and the Twins disappeared once they were told that they were expected to help move things to the new base," he replied. Optimus stood and made his way to the door rapidly, Prowl a few steps behind him.

"We need to find them before they do something rash," he said. The two mechs disappeared out of Optimus' old office and down to the rec room, where the Autobots and humans not involved in helping with the move were gathered. Perhaps someone or somebot there had seen the five mechs.


	43. Brie's Situation Worsens

**I present to you another chapter! Thanks to Sunstreaker's Squishy for looking over this for me! I do hope you enjoy! Oh...this is an edited version for this site. I will have the unedited version up somewhere else. It's not much different just Brie learning quite a bit about...things LOL.**

* * *

Later that evening found Brie curled up on her berth, Knock Out's words turning relentlessly through her processor. She sat up, knowing that recharge would not be coming anytime soon if at all. She shuddered as she recalled everything. Well, at least now she knew pretty much everything about her new form!

"_He wants…I can't allow that," _she thought as she stood and began to pace. She knew that he was surprisingly going to give her a couple of days to process everything; Knock Out had said so. The way he saw it, there was no sense in trying to attempt to bond with her while her being so emotional. He was hoping that with time to think about it she would at least resign herself, making it that much easier to get her with sparkling.

"_Yeah, never going to happen" _the thought crossed her processor as she scowled. Unbidden, the images of Jazz, of bonding to him flashed before her and she paused as an unfamiliar heat swept through her. She forced the thoughts from her mind as she turned back to her current problem. She couldn't afford to wait for rescue for very long. No, she was going to have to take matters into her own hands. It was all a question of timing.

With that thought in mind, she returned to lying on the berth and, this time, felt tired enough to be able to recharge. As she slowly began to power down, one last thought crossed her mind and she smiled. If she was going to bond to anyone, it was going to be Jazz.

* * *

The five Autobots had managed to slip out of the base, well aware of the ongoing search for them. Jazz had left a note where Prowl or Optimus was sure to find it, though it would be too late to stop them. They transformed and set out on their journey, none feeling the great need to speak. Finally, when they were some distance away, Jazz spoke.

"Ah don' understand, Sunny," he began as he ignored the golden mech's warning growl at the use of his nickname, "ya don' even like Brie. So why did ya want ta come along?" he finished. For a moment, he didn't think the frontliner was going to reply so when he did the saboteur was mildly surprised.

"No femme, squishy or not, deserves to go through everything she did. I admit that I was…wrong," he replied and Barricade stifled his chuckle at the tone in his voice as he finished. It was more than obvious that his pride had taken a hit at having to say that one particular word. The ex-Con hadn't thought that the mech even knew that word.

Silence settled among the five mechs again, occasionally broken by a muttered direction from Barricade. Jazz's processor turned restlessly as they drove, plans forming and being discarded constantly. While Prowl was their chief tactician and planned out their attacks, Jazz was no slouch in that department himself. It was just that his talents were more suited for being the head of their Special Ops division.

"How much longer?" Sideswipe's voice whined and Mirage vented heavily. This was one of the reasons that they hadn't wanted to bring them: the pair got bored easily. When they got bored, they caused problems. They didn't need any more problems than they already had.

Barricade stifled his urge to snap at the silver mech as he increased his speed slightly. Though they were excellent warriors, he wondered just exactly how old they were. Bumblebee, at times, acted more mature and he was supposed to be the youngest! At the mere thought, Barricade let out a soft laugh. He could just imagine the look on the bug's face if he told him that!

**::What's so funny?:: **Jazz's voice came through a private comm and Barricade found himself slowing slightly to allow the smaller mech to catch up. Oh, he knew that Jazz could run circles around him if he so chose to. The fact that Jazz didn't meant that he actually saw him as an equal and it was something that Barricade took seriously. He had to admit that he liked the small saboteur…sort of. He was at least amusing company.

**::Just thinking that your scout is more mature than your frontliners,:: **he replied. Jazz swerved slightly as he burst out laughing, causing Mirage and the Twins to draw closer in curiosity.

**::Yer right. Never thought 'bout it. Have ta mention it ta Bee,:: **Jazz added. Barricade snorted.

**::Just leave me out of it,:: **he said before picking up his speed slightly. As he pulled away, he chuckled quietly as he listened to Sideswipe badger Jazz to tell him what they had been talking about. The silver mech had no chance, yet it didn't stop him from trying. It would at least make for an amusing drive.

* * *

"Slagging glitches! I'm going to offline them myself!" Ironhide's roar echoed throughout the room as his cannons whirled with his agitation. Optimus was speaking quietly with Prowl, thought it was obvious by the set of his shoulders that he was more than a little frustrated himself. Prowl's doorwings were set at an angle that gave a clear indication to his state of mind. Will exchanged a look with Epps. There were a few 'Bots, and one ex-Con, who were in for one hell of a grilling when they caught up to them.

"No, you're not Ironhide," Ratchet said firmly. The weapons specialist turned towards the medic with a scowl.

"Why not? It would only be for a day or two!" he snapped. Ratchet subspaced a wrench and tapped it against the palm of his hand as he glared back at the black mech.

"Because I'm going to be taking care of their punishments," he said darkly. All optics widened as the assembled 'Bots stepped back. They didn't even want to think of just what the Hatchet had in store for the five missing mechs.

* * *

"You called for me, Lord Megatron?" Starscream's voice was sufficiently subservient, though one look in his optics showed just how displeased he was to be standing before the Decepticon leader. Megatron ignored the look as he fixed his red optics on his SIC and spoke.

"I wish for Brie to have nothing, but the best. Post Skywarp or Thundercracker outside her door. No one is to go inside, but myself or Knock Out," he growled. Starscream started to speak, but one dark glare from his leader silenced him. Bowing in acquiesce, he turned and left the throne room. The further he drew away, the darker the look on his face got. He stalked into his quarters and allowed the door to slide shut after him as he sank down into a chair.

"_Do this, Starscream! Don't do that, Starscream! BAH! Would serve him right if the Autobots retrieved the girl," _he thought sourly. He absently contacted Thundercracker, who agreed to alternating shifts between himself and Skywarp outside of Brie's door. With that done, he drummed his fingers moodily on the table in front of him.

"_Megatron doesn't deserve the girl" '_he growled as half formed plans flashed through his processor before being instantly discarded. If anyone should have the right to mate and bond with the femme, it should be him! He stilled at the thought as a small smirk crossed his face. Who said that he was going to get the girl after all? He quickly stood and strolled from the room, his stance once again tall and proud. He had some planning to do and he would do it where he always did his best planning: in the sky.

* * *

Jazz studied the compound from their vantage position, frowning. It was as Barricade had said: heavily guarded and fortified. There would be no easily sneaking into this base. He vented softly as he ducked back down before the guards saw him. This was one time he actually wished Prowl was with them.

"You know this place, 'Con. How do we get in?" Sunstreaker asked impatiently. Every moment they wasted was one moment closer to Megatron fulfilling his twisted desires. Barricade shot him a deadly look, but said nothing as his processor worked over the problem.

"Frenzy, go check out the tunnels. There must have been one that was missed," he growled. The small mech nodded and slipped away and the five mechs settled down uneasily.

"We need a plan," Mirage said firmly as all optics turned towards Jazz. The small saboteur gazed at them blankly for a moment before scowling. Given that he had decided to leave so quickly without consulting Prowl, the responsibility of setting out and executing a plan fell on him.

"We'll have ta wait fer Frenzy ta come back. Ah'll know what we're workin' with then," he said firmly. The five mechs vented and settled down to wait. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to wait too long. They had a feeling that Brie didn't have much time left.

* * *

"You need fuel," Skywarp's voice broke into Brie's thoughts and she stared at the Seeker as he placed a cube of Energon on the table. She waited for him to say something else and sighed as he turned and exited the room. She ignored the bright blue liquid for the moment, too busy trying to figure a way out of her situation.

"Damn it, I won't just sit around and be a damsel in distress!" she hissed to herself as she stood and began to pace. She had learned a lot since she had been with the Autobots and she knew that she needed to learn to protect herself. There were going to be times where they couldn't help her. This was just such a time.

The sound of the door opening again caught her attention and she turned towards the sound. She scowled at the sight of her brother as he cheerfully entered the room. Surprisingly, he even seemed unfazed at the sight of her in her Cybertronian form.

"What do you want?" she snapped as she took a seat on the couch and grabbed the cube of Energon. Michael paused for a moment, his smile faltering, before he regained it and moved forward to stand in front of her.

"What? I can't come see my sister?" he teased. Brie glared at him darkly.

"Oh, so now I'm your sister? Gee, what changed your mind all of a sudden?" she growled. This time, Michael's smile slipped from his lips and he returned her glare with one of his own.

"I've had time to think about things. I still don't like what's been done to you, but as long as you're safe here, then I can get used to it," he replied. Brie stared at him in shock.

"As long as I'm…Michael, do you even KNOW what Megatron has planned for me?" she hissed. Michael crossed his arms over his chest.

"Of course I do. He's going to make you his mate, to keep you safe from the Autobot scum. You could do worse, Brie. He'll make a fine protector," he replied. He yelped as he was suddenly plucked from the ground and brought before Brie's angry face. Well, this was certainly a new one for him.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you allowed yourself to be brainwashed! What happened to the Michael I knew? The 'Michael' that was suspicious of everything until he got the full story?" she snarled. Michael blinked then scowled.

"Brie, why won't you at least give him a chance? Lord Megatron is…" he got no further before Brie shook him lightly.

"Michael, you listen to me. Go talk to some of the other females that are like me! You'll find out just exactly what the almighty 'Lord Megatron' has planned for us!" she hissed. Michael said nothing as she set him down on the floor. She resumed her intake of her Energon, well aware of when Michael silently left the room. She sagged against the couch as sadness filled her and she whispered one last plea to whoever might be listening above.

"Please let Michael see the truth before it's too late."


	44. The Truth Is Revealed

**Hello to all my new subscribers I'm glad you're enjoying my story! For those that had requests, I do apologize. At the moment my brain is off in la la land and considering the classes I signed up for that now intimidate me I'll be lucky if I can update this on a semi-regular basis. I will still attempt to do them but I can no longer promise that they'll get done. In the meantime I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!  
**

* * *

Michael stalked along the corridors, his thoughts in turmoil. He had never seen his sister like that. She was so…confident. She had seemed to have come out of the timid shell that she had been enamored in from childhood and blossomed into a strong and assertive young woman. While he was glad to see that he wasn't sure he was happy about how it had come about. What exactly had the Autobots done to her during her time with them?

So lost in his thoughts he nearly missed the sound of the hushed conversation around the corner. He paused and listened in and his blood froze in his veins as he realized the truth. He had been deceived.

"So Lord Megatron intends to mate with her soon?" Sideways' voice was cool and Michael chanced a peer around the corner to spot him talking with Knock Out.

"Indeed. Though he did have me explain to her what was happening. I don't see why. Who cares if she knows what he's doing. So long as she produces the sparkling he desires that's all that matters," he said dismissively. Sideways smirked.

"I understand that she was what the humans call a 'virgin'. Lord Megatron will have a lot of fun…teaching her," he leered. Michael ducked back around the corner and turned away, stalking back down the hallway as his body trembled with anger. Brie had been right all along! Now what was he going to do to help fix the mess that he had created?

* * *

Megatron stared out the window, watching the humans below as they scrambled to get things set up. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the Autobots came for the femme. He would be ready though. There was no way that any Autobot, even that slagging saboteur or blasted spy, could infiltrate this base without their knowledge.

"Forgive me for the interruption Lord Megatron but the human Michael was seen exiting the femme's quarters," Starscream's voice was properly subservient and Megatron turned to face him with a soft hum.

"I expected as much. I want someone watching him at all times. Until I have bonded with the femme he is not to be allowed to wander anywhere near the walls. Should he ever discover the truth…" Megatron's voice trailed off and his optics flashed as Starscream cringed.

"Y-Yes Lord Megatron," he replied as he quickly exited the room. Megatron watched him go for a moment before turning back to resume his observations. Everything was going to plan; even his seemingly thoughtful gesture of giving her time to accept what she had learned. A small smirk curled up on his lips as his words echoed throughout the room.

"Time is ticking Brie and soon I will have you whether you're ready or not."

* * *

Michael knew that he didn't have much time. By now his unannounced and unauthorized visit surely had been reported and he had a feeling that Lord Megatron hadn't wanted anyone but himself, Knock Out or one of her guards to see her. He knew that he would soon have a tail whether he wanted it or not and he needed to complete his mission in the small amount of time he had.

He slipped past a pair of nameless Decepticon guards, who were laughing and talking about how much damage the Autobots were sure to have suffered. Michael winced silently as he dropped his head. He had been the cause of most of the damage inflicted. He deserved to be stepped on by the golden psychotic twin.

He finally reached his destination, a section of tunnels that the Decepticons had never had any knowledge of. He had only discovered them when he had been sent down with another crew to block off the other well-known ones. Now he was glad that he hadn't spoken of this one.

He crept cautiously down the dark and dank corridors, pausing every so often to listen for sounds of any pursuit. So far he heard none, but that didn't mean anything. Ravage was a deadly tracker and so was Laserbeak. Should they discover him he wouldn't have to worry about being stepped on; he would be lucky if there were any remains of him left to show Brie.

Several tense and nerve wracking moments later he arrived at the end of the tunnel and pushed through a small hole in the grate. It was too heavy for him to push open himself, given that it had been built for the Decepticons to escape should the base start to fall. He was just glad that he had taken the time to make a small human sized exit. He hadn't anticipated needing to leave but it never hurt to be prepared right?

He felt ridiculously exposed the moment he stepped out of the entrance. He took a few steps forward, crouching warily. He was sure that a few Autobots had to be here; hell probably even the 'Con that had helped his sister escape. Now it was just a matter of finding them.

He continued to creep forward cautiously, unaware of the fact that he was being watched. He let out a single startled yelp as his arm was seized in a hard and bruising grip and he was firmly 'escorted' over to where the Autobots that he had been seeking were hiding. He stared up at the glaring mechs and vaguely thought that it was a surprise that he hadn't wet himself yet. He watched as the smaller mech, Frenzy he remembered being called, returned to Barricade's side and added his own glare to the pile. The old saying 'if looks could kill' flashed through his mind and he figured that this was a very appropriate time for that saying to fit.

"D-Don't hurt me! I want to help!" he cried out, sensing just how close to death he was. Jazz snorted in disbelief. Oh how he wanted to turn this human into a pile of mush but he checked the impulse. He knew where Brie was and apparently a way into the base. He could be useful…for now.

"Ya were so certain that Brie was better off here. What makes ya decide that she's not now?" he growled. Michael swallowed nervously.

"Look, I know I made some mistakes…" he was cut off as a sword was stabbed into the ground a few mere inches away from him, bringing the livid Sunstreaker into view.

"Some mistakes? I'd say that's the understatement of the century!" he snarled. Michael flinched visibly but forced himself to remain standing. He would give the 'Bots the information they needed. They could turn him into squishy jam afterwards.

"The Decepticons think that they sealed off all the tunnels. There was one they didn't know about," he said as he gestured back the way he came. Jazz eyed him suspiciously before exchanging a glance with Mirage. Within moments the spy disappeared to check out the information and a tense silence fell over the group. Within moments Mirage was back and nodded. The information was as Michael said.

"How do we know that there's not a trap waiting there for us?" Sideswipe asked suspiciously. Barricade suddenly spoke up.

"Please, the human isn't that smart. Megatron would already have had his soldiers here if it was a trap," he scoffed. Sideswipe glared at the mech but fell silent. He couldn't argue with that logic.

"Right…so what do we do? Storm in and hope that we can take the guards by surprise?" Mirage asked. Silence once again fell upon the group as Jazz weighed his options. A sudden comm link between the five mechs startled him out of his half formed plans and he grimaced.

**::I know you glitches can hear me! Don't you dare do anything until we arrive at your coordinates!:: **Ratchet's voice abruptly broke off and the five mechs cringed as they exchanged glances. They were so screwed.

* * *

Optimus couldn't help but chuckle as Ratchet's voice broadcast across the comm link to reach the audio receptors that his words were meant for. Even in his alt mode Ironhide flinched and tried to subtly move away from the enraged medic. Bumblebee had gratefully zoomed ahead to scout out their route and even Optimus was leery of being so closed to Ratchet. He was truly intimidating no matter what form he was in when he was in such a state of fury.

"So…I take it Jazz and the others are in for a world of pain," Will chuckled. There was an answering chuckle from the speakers of the truck as Ironhide replied.

"Oh there's going to be more than pain involved I believe. I can't remember the last time I've seen Ratchet this so slagged off," he said and Will could almost hear the smirk in the mech's voice.

"Should we be concerned for Sam and Mikaela?" Epps asked as he watched the medic swerve in an attempt to get past Optimus and was smoothly blocked. Judging by the sudden revving of the Autobot leader's engine and his increased speed Ratchet must have promised something that Optimus didn't want to think about. Ironhide laughed as he and the others sped up as well to catch up to the fleeing semi and the chasing medic.

"At this point in time I think we should be more concerned for Optimus!"

* * *

The sound of the engines growing closer made the five mechs tense and Barricade frowned as he turned to Jazz. There was something bothering him. He was the head of Special Ops and a hell of a saboteur and spy. So how had the other Autobots found them so fast? All optics turned towards him and waited expectantly. It was Frenzy who discovered the reason for the Autobots' quick arrival.

"L-L-Looks like s-someone put a t-t-tracker on you 'Cade," he said as he held up a small device that he had retrieved from an inconspicuous place near the ex-Con's bumper. Barricade scowled.

"Fragging medic!" he growled. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe laughed, Jazz smirked and even Mirage looked amused. Jazz shook his head. Was Ratchet truly angry to the point where even Prowl was leery of reining him in? He had to snicker to himself. No one could rein in the Hatchet when he was angry, no matter how angry he was.

As Optimus rounded the corner, engine revving at a level that they only heard when engaged in battle the five mechs braced themselves. Frenzy even took the time to push Michael out of the way, ignoring the human's curses as he bounced off one of the rocks shielding them. Barricade could only stare as Ratchet rounded the corner and he could clearly see Sam and Mikaela hanging on for dear life inside of the cab. He turned an incredulous look to Jazz, who looked just as surprised. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe though recognized the actions of an extremely enraged medic and yelped as they scrambled to find another hiding place even as Mirage quickly went invisible.

"Why is Prime running from the medic?" Barricade asked. Jazz flinched at the string of curses being broadcast along the comm link and he watched as Barricade's red optics suddenly widened in horror as Ratchet obviously sent him something along a private comm link. Jazz could only groan as the two Autobots came to a stop, Ratchet waiting for the two humans inside him to exit, and transformed. Yep, they were so slagged.


	45. Consequences

**Given that my online classes started today and I've apparently gotten myself into ones that are going to give me problems I decided to update early. I'm not sure when the next update will be, given the challenging nature of my classes, but I'll try not to let it be too long. So until then I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Brie flinched as she heard the sound of the door to her quarters open. She remained curled up on her berth, all thoughts of recharge gone from her mind. She braced herself, expecting it to be Megatron coming to assert his dominance. Instead she heard the sound of something being set on the table in front of the couch and the unknown visitor leaving. She sat up and slid from the berth, cautiously approaching the living room. She spotted the cube of Energon sitting innocently on the table and debated on simply ignoring it and going to recharge anyways. In the end she sighed and walked over, grabbing it before sitting down. If she was going to attempt to keep the Decepticon leader at bay she was going to need all the energy she could get.

As she sipped at it she found her nerves slowly beginning to rise. Why was he waiting for so long? It wasn't as if she was going to be any more accepting than she was! She set the half-full cube back on the table, suddenly feeling nauseated. Just the mere thought of the Decepticon leader touching her was enough to ensure that she wouldn't be recharging for quite some time.

As she stared absently into space she allowed her thoughts to turn back to the information she had received. The thought of sexual intimacy between Autobots had never crossed her mind. Sure she knew that Ironhide and Chromia as well as Optimus and Elita were 'bonded' and as such most likely enjoyed the activities that Knock Out had took such pleasure in telling her about. She just had never thought about the fact that there was a distinct lack of femmes and mechs were bound to get lonely.

She could understand why Ratchet hadn't spoken of it to her. She had already been overwhelmed and trying to cope. The last thing she had needed was to get 'The Talk' when she had still been trying to adjust. She wondered just when exactly Ratchet had been going to discuss things with her.

_'Well I can always ask him for more clarification,'_ she thought with a shake of her head. Despite her situation she couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her. She could only imagine the look on his face when she asked him questions.

Feeling much more at ease Brie finished her Energon and stood, heading back into the berth room. She curled up in the middle of the surprisingly soft surface and began to relax. She slowly slipped into recharge with one thought going through her processor. Jazz and 'Cade would be coming for her.

* * *

Jazz had to fight the urge to hide behind Optimus as Ratchet turned his angry gaze onto the saboteur. He shifted slightly, sensors quickly scanning for a way out. Sensing his thoughts, Optimus moved to block his right side, while a newly arrived Ironhide and Prowl boxed him in from the back and left side. The small saboteur glared briefly at the three mechs, reminding them that they were still in the doghouse with him, but said nothing.

"Just what in the pit were you THINKING coming here by yourselves?" he snarled as he subspaced one of his favorite wrenches. Jazz instinctively ducked and was surprised when he received no following whack. He cautiously stood up…then winced as he received the smack that he had been expecting.

"Easy Ratchet there's no need for violence," Optimus said. Though he tried to keep his voice reproachful there was a strong note of amusement in it that made Jazz glare balefully at him.

"I'll show you violence Prime!" Ratchet snarled as he briefly turned his attention towards his suddenly nervous leader and waved the wrench towards him. Optimus quickly backed up and Mikaela shook her head as Sam snickered.

"Are they always like this?" Michael whispered suddenly. Mikaela turned and the male winced as he was sent stumbling back by a fist to his face. Sam laughed. That was his girl; mess with her friends and she'll mess you up.

"THAT'S for all the trouble you've caused!" she hissed. Michael rubbed at his nose, wincing as he caught sight of the blood on his fingertips. The girl had a deadly right hook. Mikaela then pointedly turned away from him to resume watching the fireworks that were going on between the four truant 'Bots and ex-Con and the recently arrived 'Bots.

"Jazz as head of Special Operations you know how important it is to have a plan before rushing into battle," Prowl's voice was stern and disapproving and Jazz tensed underneath it. Before he could say anything Barricade spoke up.

"Don't blame him it's my fault. He was just coming along to keep me from getting my aft handed to me too badly," the ex-Con said coolly. Ratchet snorted but whacked Barricade all the same, drawing a snarl from him.

"Now, where are those pit-spawned terrors? I know you're here Mirage!" Ratchet growled. The sound of dual whimpers could be heard coming from behind some rocks and the dirt nearby seemed to stir and settle, as if someone had quickly moved from the spot. Before Ratchet could move to show just how annoyed he was with the frontliners Optimus spoke.

"Ratchet you can dispense your punishment later. For now we need to concentrate on rescuing Brie," he said firmly. Ratchet settled back with a soft grumble and subspaced his wrench as all optics turned towards Prowl.

"What do we know about the base? Is there any weaknesses we can exploit?" Prowl asked coolly. Jazz nodded and turned to a suddenly cringing Michael. All optics turned his way as well and judging by the look in them if he didn't have a good answer he was going to face a wrath even more deadly than Megatron's.

"There's a tunnel entrance that not even Lord Megatron knows about. I found it when we were sealing off the others. Something told me not to seal it off; that it would be needed," he replied with a shrug. He touched his nose again and winced, though he was pleased to find that it had stopped bleeding. Perhaps the girl hadn't broken it like he feared she had.

"He speaks the truth," Mirage's disembodied voice said suddenly. Ratchet unerringly tracked it down and subspaced his wrench again, swinging towards the sound of the voice. He smirked at the number of vicious curses that escaped the noble's mouth as he found his mark and placed his wrench back in subspace again. That was nothing compared to what he had in store for them. As for the twins…

"Hmm…how heavily guarded is Brie?" Prowl asked, his icy blue optics fixing such a piercing cold stare on Michael that he was surprised that he hadn't been frozen in place immediately.

"T-Two of the Seekers guard her. No one is allowed inside except Lord Megatron and Knock Out," he replied. Prowl nodded absently, his processor forming and discarding plans with frightening ease as the others kept a wary eye out for Decepticon activity.

"Jazz, you and Mirage will be following the human to where Brie is being held. Sam, you and Mikaela will go as well. The rest of us will provide the distraction. Optimus, are Major Lennox and Epps on their way?" Prowl asked. The Autobot leader nodded.

"They will be here with more Autobot reinforcements within the hour," he replied. Jazz frowned.

"We can' afford ta wait an hour! Megs might be gettin' ready ta take advantage of Brie now!" he snapped. He yelped as he was immediately smacked again, this time upside the back of his head by Ratchet's hand.

"Cut that out!" he snarled. Ratchet's optics narrowed and Jazz's sense of self-preservation kicked in and he stepped back away from the medic before he could receive yet another non battle damage dent.

"You will listen Jazz or so help me Primus I'll tie you to one of Ironhide's cannons!" Ratchet snapped. He ignored the protests from both mechs and turned to Optimus and Prowl.

"Now…what's our part in this?" he asked. Prowl smirked slightly, a sight that never failed to send a shiver through any mechs that caught sight of it. It was something that promised that things were not going to be pleasant. His next words confirmed that feeling.

"We do what Sunstreaker and Sideswipe do best: cause mayhem."

* * *

Laserbeak pushed off of the wall he had been sitting on and began flying towards the command center where Lord Megatron and Soundwave were. He didn't think that they knew that the Autobots were so close. The bird mimic cringed. Soundwave was going to be very unhappy with him and Lord Megatron…he didn't even want to think about what he would have to say.

Within moments he was inside and flew over to where Soundwave stood before Megatron, listening intently to his instructions. Both mechs turned to face Laserbeak as he landed on the ledge of a window, far enough away where he would be able to make an escape from the sure to be enraged Decepticon leader.

"Lord Megatron, we have Autobots outside the base," he hissed. Immediately Megatron let loose a roar of rage as he shot to his feet, his optics flashing dangerously.

"WHAT? HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN THERE?!" both Laserbeak and Soundwave cringed at the absolute fury in their leader's voice.

"I am unsure my Lord. I do know that the human Michael has been spotted with them. I believe that there is an entrance that he knew about but didn't tell us," Laserbeak continued. Megatron turned to Soundwave, who nodded at his unspoken command before withdrawing from the room. Laserbeak hastily followed, leaving Megatron alone in the room. As he listened to the sound of his Decepticons scrambling to mount a defense against the Autobots he knew one thing. If he was going to make Brie his he needed to do it now. With that thought in mind he strolled from the room, heading for where Brie was staying. It was time to take her and he didn't care if she was ready or not. He would not lose her back to the Autobot scum!

* * *

Brie knew that her time was up. Judging by the sound of activity outside her door apparently the Decepticons had visitors and they weren't very welcome. She paced restlessly, unsure of what to do. All of a sudden all the plans she had half-formed were gone.

Unconsciously she found herself back in her human form and stared at the huge furniture before her. A slow smile crept onto her lips even as she made her way slowly to the door. She wondered if Megatron even knew she could do this. Judging by the sound of the heavy determined footsteps coming towards her she was about to find out.

She plastered herself in the shadows by the door, just in time. The door opened and Megatron stalked in, a scowl on his face. Brie didn't stick around to find out what he did next. She slipped out the door and down the hallway, taking care to avoid being noticed or stepped on by the Decepticons rushing around the area. A sense of unease filled her and she ducked into the shadows of another doorway as Megatron's roar of anger echoed throughout the hall.

She watched as the Decepticon leader stormed out of the room, his optics a dark crimson as his clawed hands clenched into fists. He suddenly struck out, snagging a passing by Decepticon and hauled the terrified mech to him. The unknown worker went limp in his leader's hands as said leader's face stopped a few mere inches from his own.

"Where is the femme?!" he snarled. The smaller mech flinched at his words.

"I-I d-don't know L-Lord Megatron. I a-a-assumed she was in her quarters," he whimpered. Megatron growled before suddenly ramming his free hand through the smaller mech, grabbing and crushing his spark chamber before dropping the lifeless husk to the ground.

"FIND THE GIRL! DO NOT LET HER GET TO THE AUTOBOTS!" Megatron's roared command echoed throughout the hall and sent the nearest mechs scrambling to obey. Brie closed her eyes tight as several large feet walked past her. She was so screwed. How was she going to get herself out of this mess?


	46. A Brother's Love

**So I was wavering back and forth on whether to post this today or not and decided what the heck lol! Not sure about when the next chapter will be out (as usual lol). I have classes, probably will be starting back to hell (work) next week and have suddenly rediscovered the muse for the second book in a series I'm writing. But I will attempt to get the chapters out on a somewhat timely basis! For now, enjoy!**

* * *

The Autobots had barely gotten into position when the fight began. Almost immediately Sideways and Breakdown targeted Mirage and Jazz, forcing the three humans to flee into the tunnel for safety. Once inside Sam and Mikaela turned to face Michael, who watched them warily.

"Take us to Brie," Mikaela said firmly. Michael frowned. Surely she didn't think that she was going to be able to single handedly rescue Brie from the Decepticons, did she?

"I think…" he got no further as he suddenly found a gun tucked directly underneath his chin, Mikaela's furious gaze locked with his. He moved to push the gun away but a pointed clearing of the throat from Sam stilled his movements.

"I don't want you to think! I want you to do!" she snarled. Michael scowled.

"Do you even realize what you're asking me to do? The Decepticons will be on high alert! I'm quite sure that Ravage or Laserbeak will be stationed close to Brie's quarters! There's no way we can get close without getting killed!" he snapped. Sam took a step closer, his eyes dark and menacing.

"You found a way out here without being seen! So you can find a way to get us IN there without being seen!" he growled as he whipped out his own gun and pointed it at the other male. Michael sighed harshly and nodded, knowing that he was outnumbered.

"Come on I know a passage."

* * *

Brie remained hidden in the shadows, watching as various Decepticons scurried back and forth in front of her. She had no idea how they were missing her; all she knew was that she needed to get away before somebot actually got wise to her location and grabbed her. She took a cautious step forward then shrank back again as a massive foot nearly came down and crushed her.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly slid out of her hiding place and into the shadows of the hallway, making sure to remain plastered against the wall as tightly as she could. Every so often she would have to duck further into the shadows as a mech or two, sensing something, glanced down in search of whatever it was their senses turned up. Finding nothing, they would shrug and resume their search, leaving Brie to creep forward more as her spark pulsed erratically. She was not going to allow Megatron to…to…she couldn't even force herself to think the word but nonetheless she wasn't going to allow him to do it!

So intent on her thoughts she momentarily lost touch with her surroundings. By the time she realized this it was too late; Ravage was standing before her, hissing a warning. She froze, a small whimper escaping her. She should have figured on Soundwave sending some of his creations out to help with the search!

"P-Please…let me go," she whimpered, knowing that it would do no good. The cat mimic merely smirked as he took a step forward and gestured for her to begin her trek back to her prison. Brie briefly considered transforming up to her Cybertronian form but decided against it. She wouldn't just have Ravage herding back into Megatron's clutches but the many mechs that were bustling around her as they both prepared to go help fight off the Autobots and conducted their own search for her.

Shoulders slumping, she turned and made the long dreaded trek back to her 'quarters', no longer trying to hide. The other Decepticon mechs were finally aware of her but made no attempt to stop her too relieved that she had been found to even care that it had been one of Soundwave's creations that had done so.

The closer they drew to the rooms the more tense Brie became until she was little more than a shaking bundle of nerves. Ravage nudged her none too gently through the open doorway and closed it before she could even turn. She let out a soft whimper even as she gazed around hastily for someplace to hide. She would stay in this form! Megatron couldn't do _that_ to her if she wasn't in her Cybertronian form!

She prowled the room, keeping an ear out for any signs of Megatron's return. She jumped as the base seemed to tremble and she heard the sound of a faint 'BOOM' and realized that obviously the Autobots were there. She relaxed slightly. If the Autobots were here it meant that Megatron would be focusing his attention on trying to do away with Optimus once and for all. Though she knew that that wouldn't necessarily be the case; the mech may very well decide that he needed to bond with her to prevent her from being taken by the Autobots before going out to battle Optimus. At those thoughts she immediately intensified her search for another exit. She had to get away before it was too late!

* * *

"Ah Optimus I see you've decided to pay a visit," Megatron's voice was smug as he exchanged blows with the Autobot leader. Nearby, Prowl was tangling with Starscream, while Breakdown and Sideways continued to tangle with and Jazz and Barricade. Ratchet was currently exchanging blows with Knock Out, and judging by the shrieks of anger coming from the 'Con he was receiving more than he was giving. Mirage was nowhere to be seen; he had managed to slip away from the fighting and was in the process of making his way through the tunnel that Michael had pointed out.

"It seemed only fair since you've visited us twice," Optimus replied as he ducked underneath a powerful blow and landed one of his own on Megatron's face. The Decepticon leader stumbled back slightly, a snarl etched on his face. His sword immediately dropped down even as Optimus pulled out his own. They came together in a violent movement, each halting the other's swing

"Tell me Optimus, why do you want the girl so badly? Does your sparkmate know of your…interest?" Megatron sneered. Optimus' optics flashed as he pulled his sword free and struck out again. This time he managed to land a strike on Megatron's arm, opening up a deep gash that immediately began to ooze Energon. The Decepticon leader hissed angrily.

"Elita and I consider the femme our own sparkling," Optimus shot back with a growl. Megatron began to laugh.

"Ah so you have had no luck in sparking your own," the mech chuckled. Optimus checked the impulse to simply rush forward and made himself stop and think. Megatron was trying his best to provoke him into making a mistake. He wouldn't allow that to happen. As they began to circle each other Optimus could only think one thing.

_'Please let Mirage get to her before it's too late.'  
_

* * *

Brie sank down on the floor and leaned back against the couch, her shoulders slumping. She was resigned to the fact that there was no escape that she could see. Soon Megatron would return and she would become nothing more than a brood mare for the mech to use to churn out sparklings.

She wrapped her arms around her knees and dropped her head onto them, fighting back tears. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be back at the Autobot base, listening to Jazz and Barricade bicker. Hell she would even rather deal with Sunstreaker and his attitude than be here! At that thought a small giggle escaped her. You knew it was a bad situation when she looked forward to dealing with Sunstreaker!

She heard the sound of muffled voices and lifted her head, looking around in puzzlement. She swore that she had heard Mikaela's voice! She sighed softly. Wishful thinking would get her nowhere. She dropped her head down again…then quickly lifted it as she heard a soft scraping noise from nearby. She stood carefully and walked towards the wall, discovering a small vent that she hadn't seen before. Peering inside she could see movement and she took a step back. Who was in there?

"You're not leading us in circles are you?" Mikaela's voice was suspicious as they followed Michael down the twisted and narrow passages. His passages had turned out to be a small series of vents that led throughout the base and it seemed as if they had been walking for miles. She only hoped that Mirage or Jazz had managed to get into the base. She knew they were going to need help getting out of the base in one piece.

"No I know where I'm going!" Michael snapped back. Sam glared at the other male's back but said nothing. If Michael was lying to them he would…

"We're here!" Michael's voice held a note of triumph as he came to a stop in front of a particular grate and Sam shoved the other man out of the way to peer out of the grate. To his relief he found himself staring into Brie's startled eyes and he began to push at the grate.

"Brie, stand back!" Sam called out. He watched as she immediately did as instructed and he pushed frantically at the grate, with Mikaela and Michael quickly joining in.

"Slag it!" Sam blinked at the sound of Mikaela's curse and inside the room Brie burst into giggles. She had never heard Mikaela swear, especially using an Autobot's curse, and despite the situation she couldn't help but be amused.

"Let me help," she finally said as she reached out and grasped onto the grate. She pulled and yelped as the grate popped open, sending the three humans to the floor.

"We're here to rescue you," Sam groaned as they pushed themselves off of the floor. Brie smiled as she helped them stand, her smile fading as her eyes landed on Michael.

"Brie…I…" his voice faded as she looked away from him.

"N-No t-t-time! R-Ravage will b-be here s-s-soon!" Frenzy hissed from the darkness. Immediately Brie darted into the vent, with Sam and Mikaela following. She turned to replace the grate and discovered that Michael hadn't moved.

"Michael?" her voice was soft and the male forced a smile to his face, though Brie could clearly see the sadness within them.

"Go on Brie I'm going to try and distract them," he said. Brie felt her eyes water at his words. Despite everything he was still her brother; the last of her family.

"Michael come with us," she pleaded softly. Sam and Mikaela remained quiet. This was something she had to settle on her own. Michael reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders, drawing her into a hug.

"I'll be fine Brie. I've caused too much trouble. You deserve happiness…happiness that I tried to destroy," he said quietly as he stroked a hand through her hair.

"But…" her voice was cut off as he drew back and placed a finger to her lips.

"No buts. I'm your older brother and you'll do as I say," he said sternly. Brie's bottom lip trembled as she felt Mikaela reach out and pull her back into the vent. All she could do was stare as Michael replaced the vent and felt Frenzy begin to tug her backwards. Her last sight as she was pulled deeper into the vents was of Michael watching her with tear filled eyes. She turned away and followed meekly, feeling her spark break all over again. She was leaving her brother and she knew she would never see him again. She only hoped that when his end came that he didn't suffer too badly.

* * *

Michael's shoulders slumped as he watched his sister disappear for the last time. He knew now that she was supposed to be with the Autobots. Megatron would use her and once her usefulness had ended so would her life. He turned as he heard the sound of fighting and tensed as the door opened, frowning as no one entered the room. Just when he thought it had been an accident he was suddenly scooped up by an invisible hand.

"Where is she?" the disembodied voice growled. Michael flinched. It was obviously the Autobot spy…what was his name?

"Mikaela and Sam have her. They're escaping through the vents," he said quietly. There was a moment's silence.

"You didn't go with them. Why?" Mirage asked, confused. Michael sighed softly.

"Brie has a new life. All I've done is tried to screw it up. She deserves to be happy," he replied. Mirage remained quiet. Just when he thought that humans couldn't surprise him anymore…

"You should go. Someone will be here soon," he finished.

"You're coming with us," Mirage said firmly. Before he could protest Michael managed to squirm out of his hold. Mirage was barely able to catch him before he hit the floor. Once he was close enough Michael twisted out of his grasp again and moved away.

"Go! Protect my sister if you're a mech of honor!" he snapped. Mirage hissed at his words but silently exited the room, leaving the human to stand there. Michael sighed softly then tensed as he heard the sound of footsteps padding towards the room. As Ravage appeared, his deadly glare fixed on him Michael knew one thing: he would not be walking out of the room alive. As long as his sister was safe his death would not be in vain.

* * *

Jazz and Barricade ducked behind the rocks, popping up long enough to take shots at the two Seekers before ducking back down again. Overhead, Skywarp and Thundercracker were laughing, expertly dodging their shots as Sideways and Breakdown took a temporary break to recover and regroup. Their laughter turned into cries of anger as a cannon blast from Ironhide nearly scorched both of their wings. They turned to confront the newest threat, temporarily forgetting about the saboteur and the ex-Con.

**::Did Mirage make it to the tunnel?::** Barricade asked as he easily ducked underneath a punch from Breakdown before retaliating with his own. Jazz nodded as he leapt agilely over Sideways and delivered a well-placed blow to his back.

**::Yeah should be in by now. Raj, where are ya?::** Jazz commed. There was a moment's hesitation before the spy answered.

**::I just left where they were keeping Brie. Sam and Mikaela have already retrieved her. Michael…::** here his voice trailed off and both Autobots paused, keeping a wary eye on their opponents at the note that they heard in Mirage's voice.

**::What about the human?::** Barricade demanded.

**::He stayed behind to distract the 'Cons,::** he replied. Jazz cursed silently. It appeared that the human had come to his senses, but at what cost?

**::Where are they now?::** Jazz asked as he stumbled back from a blow by Sideways. He quickly glanced down at himself and scowled. Slagging 'Con had managed to do some damage; it appeared that he was going to have to do more of his own.

**::All the human said was that they were heading for safety. He gave no details as to how or where they went. I'm currently searching for them now. I'll inform you when I have located them,:: **Mirage replied before closing the comm. Jazz vented heavily as he turned his full attention to Sideways and grinned, making the 'Con pause. That smile promised nothing but pain. Jazz's next words all but confirmed it.

"All right 'Con ya wanna dance? Show meh what ya got,"


	47. Fleeing From Captivity

**I do apologize for the length in updates. Schoolwork has once again been killing my creativity, not to mention very reluctantly returning to work. Writer's block has also been, and continues to be, a bit of a problem so I'm not quite sure if I'm happy with this chapter. There are certain parts I've rewritten numerous times but it is what it is. That said I'm not good on fighting scenes so I try to keep them brief and generic. I'll be trying to improve upon them in future chapters and/or fics. I'm attempting to work on the next chapter now so be patient with me LOL!**

**Oh, a quick note to my reviewers, readers and people who favorited my fic. THANK YOU! It doesn't matter whether you review or not as long as I know people are reading I'll keep writing. Thank you to the guests who have left reviews you guys are awesome! Anyways, on with the long waited chapter!**

* * *

"N-Not m-much farther," Frenzy mumbled as they carefully made their way back in the direction that they had come from. Brie remained silent, her eyes downcast. Mikaela and Sam kept a close eye on her. They knew that she was upset over the second loss of her brother. The fact that he had come to accept her and helped free her only made it worse.

"S-S-SLAG!" Frenzy's curse caught their attention and they froze at the sight of the fiery red optics before them. A low growl sounded and Sam nudged Mikaela and Brie back as Ravage slowly stalked forward. Brie caught sight of the crimson stains on his body and a soft cry escaped her throat as her legs buckled. The cat mimic shifted his gaze to her momentarily and gave her a toothy blood stained grin.

"I have to say Brie…your brother went down fighting. He was brave, stupid, but brave," he chuckled. Brie began to tremble and Sam's eyes flashed as he took a step forward. Frenzy threw a hand out, stopping him.

"T-That's what h-h-he wants. He's t-trying to p-provoke you," he hissed. Sam fell back, leaving Frenzy to turn Ravage's attention onto him.

"L-Let t-the h-h-humans go," Frenzy demanded. Ravage merely laughed as he crouched down.

"Make me," he snarled before launching himself at the other mech. They immediately fell to the ground, loud growls and curses filling the air. Sam glanced around and noticed another air vent nearby.

"This way!" he said as he nudged Mikaela to get her attention. The girl nodded and tugged gently at the distraught Brie's arm.

"Come on Brie we need to go! Don't let Michael's sacrifice be in vain!" she murmured. Brie's eyes rose to meet hers and Mikaela's heart broke at the sight of the utter pain and despair she saw in hers. She slowly stood and meekly began to move forward, followed by Mikaela then Sam. When they came to the vent Brie paused, listening. Hearing no sound of movement, she gently eased the cover open and peered out into the empty hallway.

She cautiously stepped out, flattening herself in the shadows against the wall. Sam and Mikaela quickly followed and they began to make their way stealthily down the hallway. Just as she thought they were home free they were scooped up by a pair of hands and all three began to struggle.

"Easy it's me!" Mirage's voice hissed. The three relaxed with a sigh before Sam suddenly realized something.

"Don't you think it's going to look suspicious for us to be seen seeming to float down the hallway?" he asked. Mirage chuckled as he drew them close.

"Well it's a good thing that you're not visible isn't it?" he smirked. The three gazed at him in surprise before looking at each other and shrugging. As he strolled down the hallway, easily avoiding the milling Decepticons, Brie could only think of one thing. Her brother had sacrificed himself to save her. It was something that she wasn't going to forget anytime soon.

* * *

Jazz and Barricade fell back, each venting heavily. Both bore deep wounds from their battles and they eyed the equally as tired and Energon stained Decepticons. Jazz exchanged a look with Barricade, who was scowling.

**::What the frag is taking your spy so long?::** he snarled. Jazz's visor flashed angrily.

**::Ah'm sure that there's still plenty of 'Cons fer him ta have ta avoid!::** he shot back. Barricade fell silent, acknowledging his words.

"Are we going to fight or are you going to just lay down and surrender?" Sideways sneered. Barricade snorted softly.

"Sounds like you're the one that wants to surrender," Barricade taunted. Sideways growled.

"The day we surrender to a traitor like you is the day we tear out our own sparks!" he shot back. Jazz grinned as he crouched down.

"Well ya don' have ta worry 'bout either option. We'll take care of that fer ya!" with those words he struck out and the fight was on again.

* * *

"Getting tired Prime?" Megatron smirked as he slowly circled his foe. Optimus didn't bother replying, keeping his optics firmly focused on the Decepticon leader. He and the others were doing their best to stall their opponents, giving Brie enough time to escape. They would have to return for the other humans at a later time, when they had an actual proper plan.

"Nothing to say? Getting old are we?" Megatron continued. Again Optimus didn't answer and the Decepticon leader frowned. Optimus wasn't rising to the bait; he didn't like that. Usually they exchanged words as they fought. This time Optimus seemed determined to keep their battle strictly physical.

A sudden thought struck him and he snarled out a vicious curse. Keeping an eye on his opponent, Megatron gestured to Soundwave. After the communications officer landed Megatron spoke.

"Has the femme been found?" he growled. Soundwave paused for a moment then nodded almost hesitantly.

"Ravage: found her. Returned her to her quarters," he began. Megatron smirked briefly before it faded away at the strange look on Soundwave's face. The Decepticon turned to face the other mech, completely ignoring his opponent.

"Something tells me you have more to say," he growled. Soundwave nodded.

"Girl: escaped with other humans. Ravage: killed traitor human male. Currently fighting Frenzy," he continued. Optimus smirked, even as his spark gave a slight hitch. Brie's brother had sacrificed himself to save her. It was going to take them a long time to help her recover from that trauma.

"What of the girl?" Megatron snarled. Soundwave took a slight step back, knowing that what he was about to say would set his leader off. Perhaps he should call Starscream down to join them…

"Soundwave I'm waiting!" Megatron's impatient voice snapped him back to attention and he braced himself for the storm his words were about to cause.

"Ravage: lost sight of her. Laserbeak: unable to locate her," he said. He flinched as Megatron let out a loud roar and braced himself for attack.

"I suggest you get in there and FIND HER IMMEDIATELY!" Megatron snarled. Without another word Soundwave turned and headed for the base and Optimus was quite sure that he had never seen the communications officer move that fast. Before Megatron had a chance to recover Optimus attacked. After all, who said that the Decepticons were the only ones who could turn an enemy's distraction into their own advantage?

* * *

Mirage flattened himself against the wall as several Decepticons rushed past. Even if he was invisible he still wasn't taking any chances. Surely by now Megatron knew that Brie was missing. He cursed as he caught sight of one Decepticon he had been trying to avoid: Soundwave. The mech had damn good sensors and would most likely be able to pick up on either his presence or Brie's. Judging by the way he stopped and stared directly at where Mirage was his thoughts were confirmed.

"When I set you down I want you to run!" the spy hissed as Soundwave began to stalk towards them. He knelt hastily and set the three on the floor and watched as they did as instructed. He cursed as Ravage and Laserbeak appeared from nowhere in pursuit of them. He became visible as Soundwave stopped before him and several other Decepticon drones flanked him.

"Autobot: trapped," the Decepticon said and Mirage could almost hear the smug tone in his otherwise emotionless voice. A subtle movement behind him caught his attention briefly and Mirage smirked.

"You think so?" he replied in a somewhat bored voice. Behind his visor Soundwave's optics narrowed. If he didn't know better he would swear…he let out an unusual curse as the mechs around him began to fall and he suddenly found himself pinned between two very sharp blades. How in the slag had these two terrors managed to avoid the Seekers?

"Well look who we have here Sunny," Sideswipe chuckled darkly. The golden frontliner scowled at his brother briefly.

"Don't call me that!" he snapped back. Before a fight could break out between the two Mirage spoke.

"Quit fighting and let's go. We have what we came for," he growled. Sunstreaker stared at Mirage.

"We're just going to leave this scum online?" he snapped. Mirage opened his mouth to answer when an explosion rocked the base, nearly sending them all off their feet.

"We have no choice we have to go now!" Mirage hissed. Sunstreaker gave the Decepticon one last final jab with his sword, drawing Energon, before he and Sideswipe subspaced them and all three Autobots began to run down the hallway. They heard Soundwave roar out an order and they began to duck the hail of bullets that were following them. They finally reached the tunnel and disappeared inside, heading for the outside. They could only hope that Brie and the others had made it out safely!

* * *

It was safe to say that Brie and the others were lost. Sam and Mikaela had led her down what they had thought was the right path only to discover a dead end. They knew that Frenzy could only hold off Ravage for so long and that the consequences of being caught would be deadly for them and twice as painful for Brie.

"This way!" all three jumped at the hissed command and looked around wildly. Seeing no one they hesitated. Who was to say that it wasn't some unknown Decepticon leading them into a trap?

"If you want to escape and live come on!" the voice snarled and Brie exchanged looks with Sam and Mikaela. Deciding that following the now somehow familiar voice was the lesser of two evils, the three started back up and down the path that the voice had seemed to originate from.

The farther they went the more familiar the surroundings seemed to be and Sam finally recognized where they were. The voice hadn't spoken since they had moved into familiar territory and Brie couldn't help but wonder at it. She remained silent though, not wanting to allow her thoughts to turn down paths best left alone. Michael was gone; she had to accept that. She would always remember him for his last moments, not for how he had acted upon finding her again.

Mikaela and Sam remained quiet as well. They knew very well who that voice had belonged to. Michael had reached out to do one final thing for his sister. It was a testament to how much he had truly loved her. His sacrifice would never be forgotten.

They finally emerged from the tunnel, meeting up with a battered Frenzy along the way. They kept to the rocks, knowing that even if Ravage was temporarily out of commission Laserbeak wasn't. Their suspicions were confirmed as they caught sight of the bird mimic flying overhead, obviously searching for them.

"W-W-Wait here w-while I go f-find 'Cade," Frenzy rumbled. Brie nodded and the three of them watched as the small mech disappeared through the rocks. Each reclined back against a rock, exhaling softly. It was nice to be able to stop and catch their breath, though technically Brie didn't need to worry about such a thing. The habit was so ingrained that she couldn't prevent herself from doing so even if she tried.

"Brie, I'm sorry," Mikaela said quietly. She watched Brie tense and caught the sight of tears in the girl's eyes before she turned away.

"I'm not. He died doing what he always felt was his job, protecting me," she whispered. The three fell silent at her words. Perhaps it was best to remember him for that one selfless act. As they waited for Frenzy to return Brie allowed her thoughts to wander back to what Knock Out told her. She ducked her head to hide her sudden smirk. Oh she was going to have so much fun having Ratchet verify what she was told! After that…well she would have to have a nice long talk with Jazz.

* * *

Sideways stumbled to his knees as the first stirrings of fear began to flow through him, watching the small saboteur standing before him warily. Jazz was smirking, casually flicking his claws to shake off the Energon on them and the Decepticon found himself thinking that he would have made an excellent addition to their side.

"Aww don' tell meh yer givin' up already," he purred as he began to circle the other mech like a shark. Sideways kept his optic on him even as he tried to assess his injuries. He knew that none of them were fatal. Jazz was simply toying with him and Sideways knew it. He had heard the stories from other mechs about the small saboteur.

"Just kill me already! You're as psychotic as those slagging twins!" he snarled. Jazz threw his head back and laughed and Sideways' fear grew.

"Well thank ya fer tha compliment. Ah have been workin' with them fer awhile," Jazz purred. He smirked as he saw the 'Con flinch. It was so much fun to toy with a mech and break him before taking him out. It was why he was one of their top interrogators.

Without warning Jazz stuck, digging his claws deep into a seam and ripping several cables and wires. Sideways howled as Energon sprayed from the area, jerking free and stumbling to his feet as he struck out instinctively. Jazz hissed as the mech's hand tore a deep gouge in his abdominal plating but showed no other signs of being affected.

**::Jazz, Bumblebee Frenzy got the humans out,::** Barricade's voice broke through suddenly over a comm link and Jazz shot back an affirmative response, as did Bumblebee.

"Go on Jazz you and Bee get the humans out of here. We'll handle these slaggers," Mirage said as he suddenly materialized beside the small saboteur. Jazz nodded and within an instant Mirage was on the attack, driving Sideways back with a snarl as Barricade stuck out at Breakdown again. Jazz tore away towards the rocks, Bumblebee joining him to scoop up the startled humans. As they quickly drove away from the fight Jazz made a firm vow. He would sit Brie down and tell her of his feelings. They would decide on where to go from there.


	48. Returning Home

**Not sure if I'm happy with this chapter. It just feels too...rushed and forced. It might not even make much sense. *shrugs* It is what it is. Next chapter Brie asks some...questions of Ratchet which is embarrassing to both of them. I will admit that I'm struggling with that one. I know what I want to write, how I want things to go, but I'm not sure how well it will go over. I may just decide on one way here and my original way for the other place I post. My views are influenced by what I read. Anyways, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Brie lost track of just how long the battle lasted. One moment she was hiding behind some rocks with Sam and Mikaela; the next she found herself tucked neatly inside Jazz and zooming down the road towards base, with Bumblebee following close behind with Sam and Mikaela. She closed her eyes and cringed as the sound of explosions rocked the ground around them. A few moments later she heard the sound of jet engines screaming and chanced a glance out a window, her eyes wide as she caught sight of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe riding on top of the Decepticons, easily causing damage as the jets attempted to shake off their unwanted passengers. Through the radio Jazz chuckled slightly.

"Ya would think that those slaggers would learn ta watch for tha Twins by now," he said. Brie frowned slightly.

"You mean they do that on a regular basis?" she asked as she gestured behind them, where she could see the cloud of dust from where the four mechs had crash landed. Jazz made a soft affirmative sound.

"They love their 'jet judo' though fer obvious reasons tha Seekers don't," he said. Brie sat back in the seat and fell silent as her thoughts turned again to her brother. She felt the sobs welling up in her chest and struggled to push them down. There would be plenty of time to grieve later.

Jazz's spark hurt for her. He had heard from Mirage about her brother's sacrifice. She had had him back for such a short time, only to lose him again. Despite his early actions he had truly loved his sister and only wanted the best for her. It was a shame that he hadn't woken up to Megatron's lies earlier.

"Where are we going?" Brie's voice was soft and subdued as they passed the turnoff for their base and continued forward.

"We're headin' fer tha new base. It's further from tha other two and underground. Old Megsy should have a harder time findin' it," he replied. Brie nodded absently and fell silent again, closing her eyes wearily.

She had just begun to drift off when she felt Jazz slow and turn to the left. She opened her eyes and frowned; there was nothing there but bare land.

"Jazz are you sure we're in the right place?" she asked doubtfully. Jazz chuckled.

"Just wait," he said. A sudden rumbling could be heard and all Brie could do was stare as the ground before them split open to reveal a ramp that led down into the ground. She shook her head as Jazz pulled forward with Bumblebee close behind and down the ramp. Once there Jazz stopped in the large open area and opened the door. Brie climbed out and transformed, stretching. As much as she enjoyed her human form being contained in it for so long had begun to make her feel cramped up.

"Holy…how long has this been here?" Sam asked. Brie glanced down at him in surprise.

"You didn't know about this place?" she asked. Both he and Mikaela shook their heads.

"We had ta keep it a secret in case one of tha humans was captured and interrogated. Not even Will or Epps were aware of this place 'till we told 'em," Jazz explained. Brie nodded again as she looked around. It explained the well-stocked and prepared look, though various 'Bots and humans were still moving a few last minute items through a well hidden and fortified tunnel. After everything was moved the tunnel would be blocked and destroyed and Brie was sure that Red Alert had a system in place that would keep even Soundwave from locating their base again.

Brie and the two humans were escorted to a room that was clearly the rec room. Sam and Mikaela retreated to the human sized couch to give Brie some time with Jazz as Bumblebee left to help move things. Brie sank down onto the 'Bot sized couch, Jazz joining her. There was an awkward moment before Jazz suddenly spoke just as Brie did.

"Jazz…"

"Brie…"

"Go ahead Jazz," Brie said, slightly relieved. It gave her more time to gather up her thoughts. Jazz looked uncomfortable for a moment as his gaze swept the room. Though Sam, Mikaela and a few other 'Bots were present there was still too many for him to feel free discussing what he wanted to with her.

Without speaking he stood again, offering her a hand. Puzzled, she took it and allowed him to help her up and lead her from the room. She remained silent as he led her through the hallways and finally pulled her into an empty room. She gazed around briefly, noting that it was obviously set up to be somebot's quarters. Just how long had they had this base prepared in advance?

"Brie," Jazz began drawing the young femme's attention from her surroundings and back to him, "Ah…Ah want ta apologize," he finished quietly. Brie tilted her head to the side, puzzled. What did he have to apologize for?

"For what Jazz?" she finally asked. Jazz shifted slightly before his visor snapped up, allowing his optics to meet hers.

"Fer allowing tha slaggin' 'Cons ta get their claws on ya," he said. Brie immediately shook her head as she reached out and touched one clawed hand. A hand that just recently had been cutting a wide path of destruction against the Decepticons in his effort to find and rescue her.

"It's not your fault or 'Cade's. Megatron plays dirty…and…and Michael…" her voice trailed off, breaking on her brother's name and Jazz was quick to enfold her in his arms.

"Tha only thing Michael was guilty of was lovin' his sister and wantin' ta protect her. A crime that any 'Bot would forgive. He would want ya ta remember tha good times ya shared and not his recent actions," he said softly. Brie nodded, though she kept her face hidden against his chest as Energon tears trailed down her face. She had found him, only to lose him again.

Jazz held her close, making soft noises of comfort as he ran a hand down her back. He could feel her trembling and again questioned whether if now was the time to speak of his feelings or not. In the end he decided he would allow her time to grieve. He didn't want her to make a decision while under duress. No, if she was going to be his mate she would come of her own free choice and not with grief clouding her processors.

* * *

Megatron watched as the Autobots retreated, snarling as he continued to fire shots after the rapidly disappearing Optimus. He was used to the Autobots calling for a retreat when things were going badly but this was different. They had obviously gotten what…or who…they had come for thus there was no need to draw out a battle that was rapidly becoming a stalemate. He transformed and zoomed towards the base, noting that Starscream was leading his battered Trine mates in the same direction. Once inside he landed and came to stand before Soundwave, who was waiting for him subserviently.

"The girl?" he growled. Soundwave stood stoically, well aware of the anger his words were going to unleash but fully prepared to accept the consequences. He had failed his Lord and thus deserved the punishment.

"Gone," he said simply. Megatron let out a bellow of rage and Soundwave waited patiently. A snicker from behind the enraged Decepticon leader caught his attention and he couldn't help the relief that flickered through him as Megatron whirled around to face a smirking Starscream. The communications expert couldn't help but shake his head. Sometimes he wondered if Starscream _enjoyed_ the punishment he received from Megatron.

Starscream himself was wondering the same thing as the bigger mech backhanded him and sent him flying to crash into the wall. Before his systems could orientate, he found himself hauled up by the neck and slammed against the wall, Megatron's deadly visage just mere inches from his own. Despite the dangerous position he was in Starscream couldn't help but be amused. The all mighty Megatron had been outsmarted by a now deactivated human and all he could do was throw a temper tantrum about it.

"Just what, pray tell, is so funny Starscream?" Megatron hissed, his frame visibly trembling with his fury. It would be oh so easy to simply crush the troublesome Seeker's vocalizer before ripping his spark out but while it would temporarily lessen some of his anger it wouldn't completely satisfy it. Besides, his SIC made an excellent punching bag.

"N-Nothing Lord M-Megatron I m-meant no disrespect," Starscream finally managed to squeak out as he hid his amusement and took on the proper subservient air that the Decepticon leader was used to. The change in his attitude seemed to appease his leader though it didn't stop him from dropping him then kicking him across the room to land in a heap before he turned back to Soundwave.

"Find the Autobot base! They must have moved by now but most likely remained in the same area," Megatron growled. Soundwave dipped his head in acknowledgment before turning and heading for the communications room. Megatron watched him go then turned to head to his quarters, never even glancing over at the crumpled mech who was beginning to stir as one single thought raced through his mind.

_'There will be no mercy next time. I will have that femme as my mate whether she's willing or not!'_


	49. Settling In and Questions

**I know it's been awhile lol. My only excuse is I've been failing my Meterology class so that's kinda taken me out of my writing. Since the end of the semester is so close maybe I can actually get back onto a somewhat regular posting basis. If this chapter seems choppy I apologize. This is the version edited for this site. I do want to give a huge thank you to Gatekat for allowing me to use some of her ideas in this story. Those ideas you probably won't see here, but you will on the other site that I post this at. I want to also thank all of my readers and reviewers who enjoy this story! Whether you review, simply favorite or follow, or just read it I thank you =) Now, on with the show!**

* * *

Life slowly began to return to normal over the next couple of weeks, well as normal as it got for the base. Will and Epps were constantly locked up in a room with Optimus and Prowl, making plans for the final assault on the Decepticon base. Brie spent a lot of her time with Sam and Mikaela, her subdued manner concerning them. As much as she tried to pretend everything was normal she couldn't. It was clear that the events at the Decepticon base had affected her even worse than they had thought.

Jazz and Barricade observed her silently as she went about her daily activities. Barricade shot Jazz a sideways glance as the other mech chatted with Ironhide about new weapons and explosives. He knew why the mech hadn't spoken of his feelings yet but it still annoyed him. So intent in his observations on Jazz, Barricade failed to notice the way Brie sprang up as Ratchet entered the room.

"Ratchet there you are!" she exclaimed as she hurried towards him. Ratchet paused, a suspicious look crossing his face. No one, 'Bot femme or human, was ever so happy to see him and the cheerful note in Brie's voice had him on instant alert.

"Yes, here I am Brie," he replied wryly as he crossed the room to get a cube of Energon. Brie followed him and there was a quiet snicker from the other side of the room that was quickly silenced after a brief glare from the medic.

"Is there something I can help you with Brie?" he finally asked as he realized that she wasn't going to be leaving him alone anytime soon. She smirked as she nodded and the medic suddenly had the urge to simply flee the room and lock himself in med bay. That smirk was usually one he saw on Sideswipe's face before he pulled a prank. It was look that spelled nothing but trouble for him.

"Actually there is. I'd like to talk about some things I learned while in the Decepticon base," she replied as her optics twinkled with a mischief that had been missing. Ratchet groaned and ducked his head as he turned to exit the room, Brie hot on his heels. He knew exactly what she wanted to talk about…and it was a talk that he wasn't all that keen on having. He decided to comm Elita for help. Perhaps having another femme in the room would help; hell he was all for letting Optimus' mate explain it herself!

* * *

Jazz and Barricade watched the two leave, Ratchet walking rather quickly and Brie following close behind. The small saboteur sidled up to the ex-Con, who looked just as curious as he was. Just what did Brie want to speak to Ratchet about? And why had the mech suddenly looked as if he was about to be interrogated by the Decepticons?

"What do ya suppose that was all about?" Jazz asked as he leaned back against the wall beside Barricade. The room quickly resumed its normal chatter and activity, though the two mechs noticed that Sam and Mikaela were staring at the door in confusion. So apparently Brie hadn't said anything to them about whatever it was she was going to talk to Ratchet about either.

"I have no clue, it could be anything. What I want to know is when you're going to tell her your feelings," Barricade responded. Jazz instantly stiffened, his face shifting into a neutral expression that didn't fool the mech in the least. Jazz was irritated by his question but was trying to hide it.

"As soon as tha time is right; she just lost her brother 'Cade. She needs time ta grieve," he replied coolly. Barricade nodded, his concerns easing. That the smaller mech cared so much about not wanting to overwhelm her was just another sign that he was a perfect match for Brie.

The two mechs were silent as they considered Brie's actions. She had suddenly perked up upon seeing Ratchet and that look on her face…well they had never seen it on her face and while they were glad to see her cheer up, no matter how briefly, they were a bit concerned. That was a look of mischief. It was something that they hadn't expected to see again so soon.

"Ya think we should go listen in?" Jazz asked after a moment. Barricade pondered the idea for a moment before shaking his head.

"I really don't feel like having a wrench shoved up my tailpipe," he chuckled. Jazz smirked but said nothing. He had to agree with the ex-Con there.

"I'll send in Frenzy," he added. The two mechs watched as the smaller one disappeared and settled back against the wall again. Frenzy was good at getting in and out of places without being seen. He would be able to find out what had Brie in such a playful mood without the risk of being given a thorough 'checkup' by the irate medic.

* * *

"All right Brie what is it you wanted to talk about?" Ratchet asked gruffly as he turned to mess with his tools. He cursed the fact that a very amused Elita was stuck in a meeting with Optimus and the others and was refusing to leave. No, she was leaving him to deal with this slagging topic on his own. He knew he couldn't really mess with her but he made a mental note to move up Optimus' checkup and make it even more thorough than it usually was.

"Knockout told me about interfacing and bonding," she replied as she hopped up onto a berth, swinging her legs as she stared at the medic's back. She saw him stiffen and had to fight the urge to giggle. She loved Ratchet, she really did. He had made her transformation and learning process as less painful as he could. It didn't mean that she wasn't above messing with him. In the shadows Frenzy nearly choked on his own amusement. Oh 'Cade and Jazz were going to love this!

"I see…" Ratchet muttered as he scowled at his tools. He knew he should have damaged that narcissistic medic's paintjob more than he had! He couldn't help the look of resignation that crossed his face. Brie deserved to know everything about her new existence, no matter how embarrassing it might be for him. Just because he had been there for her transformation didn't make it any easier to explain these particular topics. He wondered if this was how he would feel if he had a sparkling of his own. Brie waited patiently until Ratchet finally turned to face her with a neutral expression on his face, though she could tell that he was distinctly uncomfortable.

"What is it you need clarifying about?" he asked. Brie thought for a moment.

"Actually everything since he didn't really go into detail," she replied cheerfully. She watched Ratchet face palm and had to stifle the urge to giggle again. She almost felt sorry for him and thought about letting him off the hook. But the realization that she needed to know everything before attempting to begin a relationship with Jazz kept her from doing so.

"Define everything," Ratchet shot back. Brie was quiet for a moment before she spoke.

"He said something about…we…umm…" her voice trailed off meekly. This was actually turning out to be a lot harder than expected. Ratchet waited patiently then smirked as he watched her fidget slightly. Well, maybe this 'talk' wasn't going to be as bad as he thought. He took a deep breath and launched into his explanation, keeping in mind that she had once been a human youngling and an innocent one at that. He took a deep breath and launched into his explanation. He could only hope that he didn't manage to scare her. Jazz would have his head.

"I believe the best thing to start with would be spark merging…"

* * *

Two hours after Brie and Ratchet had disappeared, Frenzy slipped back into the rec room. He sidled up to Barricade and Jazz, who were looking at him expectantly. Judging by the look on his face whatever he had found out promised to be amusing…at least for Barricade.

"Let's go someplace quiet so I can show you this," he laughed. Barricade nodded as Jazz eyed the small mech suspiciously. Both followed him out of the room, ignoring the sound of the calls from the other mechs behind them in the rec room. Once they reached the quarters they shared with Brie, they turned and looked at Frenzy expectantly.

"Well…at least she's showing interest," Barricade snickered after watching the video. Jazz was silent, too surprised to say anything. His Brie was already interested in being with him? He couldn't ignore the warmth that he felt at the thought. Perhaps it was time to speak of his feelings after all.

"I think we'll leave you alone tonight," Barricade said slyly. Jazz scowled at the other mech.

"Just cause she's askin' doesn' mean Ah'm gonna do anythin' yet," he shot back. Barricade plastered a look of mock disappointment on his face.

"But she seems so interested," he chuckled. Jazz reached over and swatted the ex-Con on the back of the head.

"Get yer mind outta tha gutter! Just means that she's startin' ta think like a femme. Though Ah have ta admit that perhaps tha Hatchet wasn't her best choice to ask," he finally snickered. All three mechs laughed as they recalled the sight of Ratchet's face, then Brie's as he launched into his explanation. They could only hope that he hadn't managed to scare the young femme with his technological explanations.

Jazz sighed as his thoughts drifted, missing the way Barricade smirked. He was now spending his nights curled up in the berth with her, helping to combat the night terrors that jerked her so abruptly out of her recharge. After the first few nights he had discovered that as long as she was snuggled up to him, her recharge was blessedly unbroken. If it helped his own recharge…well that was fine with him.

He never missed when Barricade and Frenzy slipped out, intent on preparing things for that evening. Jazz might not want to admit it, but Brie was more than ready to at least explore the attraction between them. He just needed a little push to help see that…and Barricade was going to be the one to push him.


	50. Confessions and Explorations

**Now that the semester is pretty much over, except for a few minor things in my Children's Literature class, I should have more time for this fic =). This is the version that I edited to comply with 's rules. The unedited version, the more detailed version, is posted over on the other place that I post at. I do hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Brie returned to her quarters later that afternoon, her processor whirling. Ratchet had been thorough in his explanation and she had a lot to process. The door opened and she stepped inside, paying no attention to her surroundings. So when she crashed into something she let out a startled yelp. A pair of arms came around to steady her and she looked up to find Jazz watching her with a look of concern in his optics.

"Are ya ok, Brie?" he asked. Brie found herself blushing as Ratchet's explanations came rushing to the front of her processor. Jazz cocked his head slightly, his concern growing.

"I-I'm ok Jazz. I just have a lot on my processor," she murmured, carefully avoiding his gaze. The feel of his arms around her, the feel of his body pressed close to hers, left her feeling warm and she managed to slip free and move away. She turned her attention and a surprised look crossed her face as she took in the atmosphere.

Two cubes of obviously fine grade Energon sat waiting on the coffee table. Soft music was playing in the background, and the lighting was dimmed to cast what she could only consider a romantic atmosphere on the room. She heard his muttered curse and turned to see him glaring balefully around the room. Obviously he was as surprised by the scene as she was.

"Ya wanna talk 'bout it?" he asked as he took her hand and led her towards the couch. She eyed him carefully, hesitating. Did she want to take the next step in their relationship? She couldn't deny it anymore; she had feelings for him. Should she speak of them first, or show him?

Jazz was unaware of the fact that her thoughts were running parallel to his as he helped her sit and handed her the cube. He sat beside her, stealthily glancing over at her. She was staring into the cube with a small frown, as if it concerned the answers to whatever she was thinking. He took a sip of his Energon and fought to control his reactions to her nearness. Now that he knew that she was taking an interest in more…intimate things he couldn't help but fantasize about it.

"I…spoke to Ratchet earlier," she finally began after taking a sip of her own Energon. Jazz waited patiently, turning slightly to face her as his visor retracted to allow his optics to watch her.

"Are you feeling ok?" he asked, his accent slipping away. Brie hesitated a moment before setting her cube down and moving closer to him. Before Jazz could react she pressed her lips to his, her inexperience showing. He blindly set the cube aside as he reached out and pulled her gently into his lap. He took control of the kiss, a soft rumble of his engine vibrating against her body. A soft sound of wonder escaped her and Jazz shuddered at the sound. He wanted so badly to claim her right then and there! Only his sheer force of will kept him from giving in to his urges.

By the time the kiss ended the sound of dual cooling fans could be heard. He pressed her forehead to hers, struggling with himself. The way her hands were wandering over him in an innocent manner wasn't helping any. His arms tightened around her. She was his; he would never let her go.

"Brie…" he began.

"Jazz…" she spoke at the same time.

"Go ahead Brie," he said quietly. She hesitated, and then took a deep breath as she forced her optics to meet his.

"Jazz…I…I have feelings for you," she whispered. She couldn't seem to say the 'L' word just yet. Jazz's optics brightened as his frame trembled slightly.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear that Brie," he replied, a hand coming up to cup her cheek. She nuzzled into his touch, relaxing against him. She could hear his unspoken words, and her spark sang with joy. She had finally found the special someone she had been looking for all her life. He was just…different from how she had pictured him.

"So where do we go from here?" she asked. Jazz hesitated.

"Wherever you want to, love. I'm going to let you control the pace of our relationship. I don't want to rush you into anything you're not ready for," he replied. Brie nodded as she dropped her head onto his shoulder. She wasn't sure exactly what she wanted, but she knew for a fact that she wanted him. She allowed her hands to wander over him again, and this time noticed the way that he seemed to stiffen and how his cooling fans grew louder.

Curious, she pulled back slightly to study his face. His optics were glowing brightly, his visor having long since been retracted. His arms were steady around her, though she could feel his trembling. As her hands slid down over his chest, his frame began to heat up.

"Jazz?" she said softly. Jazz took a moment to obviously steady himself before answering.

"Brie…are you sure about this?" he asked. Brie nodded shyly.

"I…I'm not sure about…going all the way. But I would like…to explore," she replied. Jazz's breath hitched as he suddenly stood, cradling Brie close to his chest. He strolled into the berth room and eased her down, silently waiting for her next clue. He was determined that this was done right. He wasn't going to allow his own desires to push her into something she wasn't ready for and frighten her. She raised her arms and Jazz sank down onto the berth beside her. He would allow her to control whatever took place between them, no matter how much willpower it took.

* * *

Brie later came around to the feel of his arms wrapped around her and her head cradled on his chest. She nuzzled into him, feeling terribly pleased with herself. She had brought him pleasure, despite being inexperienced. She shivered as she recalled her own pleasure. If just a simple touch made her feel that good, how would everything else feel? He smiled as he kissed the top of her head.

"I take it Ratchet explained things to you," he chuckled. Brie nodded as a small giggle escaped her.

"He was a bit embarrassed at first…though in the end he turned the tables on me," she replied as she thought back to his graphic descriptions of what to expect. Jazz laughed again, and the sound warmed Brie's spark. It was so rare that he was able to just relax and be himself.

"So, who do we thank or yell at for the setting?" she asked as she raised her head slightly. A dark look crossed Jazz's face for a moment before he shook his head in a mixture of amusement and annoyance at Barricade's blatant interference.

"Your guardian decided that we were taking too long to confess," he replied dryly. Brie made a note to privately thank Barricade, even if she scolded him in public. After all, they would most likely have continued to dance around their feelings if he hadn't interfered. For a moment she recalled her brother's interference and her optics dimmed with sorrow. Jazz sensed her mood and tightened his arms around her, wordlessly comforting her.

"I'm sorry Brie," he whispered. Sorry that she had been abducted in the first place. Sorry that he hadn't been able to reach her in time to prevent the newest sorrow in her spark. Sorry that she had lost the last of her family. Brie nuzzled him again as she dropped her head onto his chest, relaxing at the steady hum of his spark beneath her.

"I…in the end he did what he thought was best. He wasn't a bad guy. He just…was misled," she replied quietly. She felt him nod and she felt recharge creeping up on her.

"Rest Brie, I'm here," he murmured quietly. Brie allowed her optics to offline as she sank into recharge, leaving Jazz to ponder the turn of events. He had thoroughly enjoyed himself, even if he hadn't been able to pleasure her as much as she did him. He just hoped that she didn't regret it when she came back online.

**::Is it safe to come back in?:: **Barricade's voice was full of amusement as he commed Jazz and the saboteur scowled.

**::Don' think Ah'm not gonna have a word with ya later,:: **he warned as he heard the door to the main room open. Barricade's soft laughter reached him and Jazz shook his head. The mech was incorrigible. He was a good guardian for Brie; he encouraged and helped her to emerge from her shell and start accepting her new life. He owned the mech…though it didn't mean that sparring wouldn't be a bit more intense later. He relaxed as his own optics dimmed, his own recharge creeping closer. With Barricade out there, he felt safe enough to relax. As he slid into recharge one last bemused thought crossed his processor.

_'I never thought that the day would come that I would trust a 'Con with my life.'_


	51. Aftermath

**Sorry about the delay! School is finished for the semester and I'm packing for a trip to see the family. Seeing that today is my birthday and I had this prewritten, I thought I'd update today =) Hopefully updates should be more timely since I have no school until September. If the breaks are confusing let me know. I'm trying to keep the scenes flowing smoothly so I need to show where one ends and the other begins.**

* * *

To say Megatron was upset was an understatement. Every mech took great care to keep out of his path. They didn't want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. That was what Starscream was for.

Starscream was once again in the medbay, Knockout tending to his wounds. He hissed as the medic pulled an arm back into place and he glared at the other mech. Knockout paid him no heed. After all, it wasn't him that had slagged off Lord Megatron even worse than he already was.

"Would you be careful you glitch!" the Seeker snarled. Knockout smirked and deliberately pinched a wire in the seam of his arm, drawing a screech of pain from the mouthy mech.

"Now Starscream, that's no way to talk to the medic that's putting you back together," he purred. Starscream settled back down with several muttered curses, his only response to Knockout's treatment being flinches and hisses of pain.

"What did you say to him to land you in this condition anyways?" he asked, honestly curious. Starscream was silent for a moment.

"Just asked why the femme was so special. There are other humans who made the transition successfully," he replied sullenly. Knockout shook his head, even as he silently wondered the same thing. What was so special about that one slip of a girl that their leader would risk their very existence just to possess her?

Silence fell over the room, the only sound being Starscream's curses as Knockout continued to treat him. He was aware of when Thundercracker and Skywarp entered the room to check on him. He sighed harshly.

"Starscream, why do you continue to provoke him? You always end up in an even worse condition than the last time…especially now with how enraged he is," Thundercracker asked. Starscream shot his Trine mate a glare.

"It's not like I mean to! All I did was ask a simple question!" he snarled. The two Seekers exchanged a glance and shook their heads. With Starscream it was never a 'simple' question. Their leader just didn't know when to keep his mouth shut at times.

"Lord Megatron wants to know how soon you'll be fixed. He wants us to go out and search for the Autobot base again," Skywarp said. Knockout made one final adjustment and stepped back; pausing to glance at his own finish to make sure it hadn't been damaged before answering.

"He's ready to go. He just needs to avoid taking anymore beatings until everything finishes healing," he replied. Starscream slid off the berth and stood, groaning as he stretched. He turned to his waiting Trine mates motioned towards the door. The two Seekers exited first, followed closely by Starscream. The SIC knew one thing; there was something about that femme that made her more valuable than he realized. He would simply have to take her and find out for himself. Who said that 'Lord' Megatron had to be the one to bond with her?

Skywarp and Thundercracker shook their heads as they caught sight of the gleam in Starscream's optics. Their leader was up to something; they knew that look all too well. It was most likely something that would land him back in hot water with the Decepticon leader. Sometimes they wondered if his processor had been damaged in one of the many beatings he had taken. They transformed and took off into the air, flying in the general direction where the last two bases had been. They could only hope that whatever Starscream was plotting wouldn't come back to bite all of them in the aft in the end.

* * *

Megatron watched as the three Seekers left the base, his red optics narrowed. He knew that Starscream was planning something; it was why he had had Knockout plant another of Soundwave's tracking devices on the treacherous mech. He couldn't be trusted to do as commanded.

He turned and headed back into the throne room, taking a seat and drumming his claws on the arm. How the Autobots had managed to slip past his soldiers Megatron still didn't know. The human shouldn't have been able to access the femme's room, much less help her escape. Was there a breach in their defenses somewhere?

"Soundwave, what news do you have for me?" he asked as his TIC and communications officer walked into the room. He watched as the other mech stopped before him and bowed slightly before answering.

"Breach: unsealed tunnel. Solution: sealed and buried," he replied. Megatron snarled. Of course, he should have figured that. He didn't think that the humans would be so brave as to defy his orders.

"Who was in charge of overseeing that tunnel?" he growled.

"Officer: Sideways. Humans: femme's brother and friends," he replied. Megatron slammed his fist onto the arm of the chair. This was one time that he missed that traitor Barricade. He was always so creative and effective in his punishments.

"Bring Sideways to me; I'll deal with him myself. As for the humans…round them up and exterminate them," he snarled. Soundwave nodded in acknowledgment before turning and exiting the room. Megatron watched him go, his claws flexing in anticipation of the upcoming 'punishment'. He might not be as creative as Barricade but he knew how to get the job done. By the time he was through with Sideways he would regret being so negligent. After that, he would be stuck on the lowest form of duty that Megatron could find. Maybe a little hard work and time to reflect on his actions would set the mech on the right path.

* * *

Brie entered the rec room, almost seeming to float in her genuine happiness. Sam and Mikaela watched her, both amused and curious. It almost seemed as if she had gotten laid. Mikaela giggled at the thought. How did they have sex anyways? Maybe that's why Brie had chased Ratchet out of the room.

"Brie, over here!" she called out, catching the femme's attention. Brie's optics lit up in pleasure and she quickly assumed her human form, hurrying over to join her friends. Mikaela decided that whatever had happened it had been a good thing. This was the first time that they had seen Brie happy since her kidnapping.

"Hey guys!" she said cheerfully as she joined them at the human sized table. Mikaela eyed her curiously. There was a glow to her that…another giggle escaped her as Sam's eyes widened at the same time. Well, apparently their first suspicion appeared to be correct after all.

"Hey Brie, how you feeling?" she asked. Brie's smile widened and Sam quickly stood.

"I think this might be a time for you girls to talk," he said hastily before all but fleeing the table. Several curious eyes and optics followed his flight and Mikaela and Brie burst out laughing. Apparently Sam didn't want to know anything, no matter how innocent it might be. Being a guy he just assumed it was going to be something sexual.

"I…Jazz and I admitted our feelings," she replied, suddenly feeling a bit shy. Mikaela's face brightened in a genuine smile of happiness. Everyone had watched them dance around each other for quite some time. It was about time that they admitting it. Exactly what had prompted it though?

"Can I ask what convinced you to?" she asked. Brie giggled softly.

"Barricade decided to set up a romantic setting for us," she replied. Mikaela blinked before shooting a startled glance over at Barricade, who was busy talking to Ironhide. She hadn't thought that the gruff mech would have that in him.

"Now that's something I didn't expect," she murmured. Brie smiled.

"Neither did I. Barricade always has had my best interests at heart. He makes a good guardian," she replied softly. As if sensing their attention, he turned his head slightly and gave the two females a blank and innocent stare. Mikaela and Brie both burst out laughing. There was nothing innocent about that mech! Barricade smirked slightly before returning his attention back to a suspicious Ironhide.

"So what happened after you confessed your feelings?" she asked. Brie blushed brightly and this time it was Mikaela's turn to giggle.

"So you two…" her voice trailed off delicately and Brie squirmed slightly.

"We…made out," she replied evasively. Jazz chose that moment to waltz in and Brie's face reddened even more. Mikaela smirked as she gazed at him, drawing a suspicious and curious look from him.

"I hope you enjoyed it," she replied, as innocently as she could. Brie gave her a mock glare even as she glanced over shyly at the small mech, who was now talking to Bumblebee and Sam.

"I did," she said softly. Mikaela nodded and, deciding to take pity on her friend, changed the subject to more innocuous subjects. There would be plenty of time to grill and tease her friend later…once her relationship with Jazz was more stable. The last thing she wanted to do was make her uncomfortable with him again.

* * *

"So Jazz, how are things between you and Brie?" Bumblebee asked innocently. Sam squirmed and Jazz eyed them both suspiciously. Just what exactly did they know?

"Ah told her how Ah felt 'bout her," he replied. Bumblebee nodded in pleasure.

"Did she…ah…respond?" Sam asked delicately. Jazz looked at him curiously, wondering at the boy's oddly phrased question.

"Yeah, she feels tha same fer meh," he replied. Sam nodded quickly and Bumblebee gently patted him on the back with one large finger. Jazz frowned as he noticed how red Sam's face was.

"Are ya feelin' ok, Sam?" he asked. Sam nodded again.

"I'm fine it's just a bit warm in here," he replied evasively. Jazz sensed there was more to it but decided to let it go. Sometimes, there was just no understanding humans.

* * *

"What did you do?" Ironhide asked Barricade suspiciously. He hadn't failed to notice the smirk Mikaela had shot his way, nor the way the mech had suddenly seemed to radiate an 'innocent' air. Barricade merely shook his head, a smirk on his lips.

"Why do you assume that I did anything?" he asked. Ironhide snorted softly.

"'Con, when aren't you doing something?" he shot back. Barricade thought for a moment then laughed.

"When I'm in recharge?" he offered. This time Ironhide did laugh and Jazz glanced over their way. The smaller mech shot Barricade a somewhat annoyed glare before returning his attention to Bumblebee and a surprisingly flustered Sam.

"You got me there…maybe. So spill, what did you do? Brie seems pretty…perky and Jazz looked like he wanted to smack you upside the head," he said. Barricade chuckled.

"I merely helped Jazz and Brie decide to discuss their feelings," he replied. Ironhide eyed him suspiciously.

"What exactly did you do to 'help'?" the older mech asked. Barricade merely smirked before walking off, leaving Ironhide staring after him in confusion and annoyance. Great, now this was going to bug him all day! He turned and headed for Jazz. Perhaps he would talk about Barricade's 'help.'

Sunstreaker watched the femme carefully. He had to admit, he had been a bit too harsh. He had never been so cruel to anyone, whether it be human, mech or femme. So why had he been so mean to her? He shook his head and watched as Ironhide approached Jazz. Whatever he asked made Jazz jerk, and he wondered if it had any connection to the femme's improved attitude and Barricade's secret amusement.

* * *

"You should just apologize Sunny. She seems to be the type that doesn't hold a grudge," Sideswipe said as he sidled up next to his brother. The golden mech shot his twin a dark glare.

"Don't call me that," was all he said in response. Sideswipe poked at him tentatively through the bond and was surprised at what he found. Sunstreaker actually felt guilty about his actions. Well, wonders never ceased. Sideswipe had often thought that maybe there was a conscience under his hostile attitude somewhere. He was still surprised to find that he was right.

"She won't believe me," Sunstreaker finally muttered. Sideswipe vented softly. Sunny was right. He had apologized twice, but hadn't meant it. What would make her think that he was even more sincere now?

"We'll figure something out. Hey, what's got Jazz in such a mood?" Sideswipe asked, switching to another subject. Sunstreaker looked over and saw that the saboteur was wearing an exasperated look on his face. Ironhide was apparently pressing him about something, and Sunstreaker suddenly looked over at the ex-Con. He found him watching the scene with an amused and knowing smirk and Sunstreaker looked back to Jazz. Jazz had finally thrown up his hands and stalked off, obviously annoyed about something. Ironhide stared after him in confusion, before Bumblebee whispered something to him. A moment later the weapons specialist burst out laughing and Sunstreaker's curiosity was aroused. Something had happened to obviously annoy the small mech and he wanted to know what. He could use a good laugh at the mech's expense.


End file.
